“Got Nyay scheme idea from PM’s Rs. 15 lakh promise”: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi said his idea for anti-poverty programme NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) came from PM Modi’s “Rs. 15 lakh promise” made ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

HThe Congress leader said the announcement about the “historic” Nyay scheme by the Congress would be a surgical strike on poverty and its announcement has ensured the BJP’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said several lakh crore rupees were given to corporates by the current regime, while people were made false promise of Rs 15 lakh in their accounts.

“I had said Rs 15 lakh promise is not possible. We will give Rs 72,000 per annum to 20 per cent of the poorest. It will bring 25 crore people out of poverty, ” Gandhi said while addressing national convention of the party’s OBC unit.

“It is fine if I say I cannot give you Rs 15 lakh. But I am truthful when I say Rs 72,000 will be given. I do not lie, I am not Modi,” he said.

“Have you seen his face today? I saw fear,” he told the gathering, adding the Modi government was going to lose elections to the Congress.

He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fake promise of Rs 15 lakh while Congress will actually give Rs 3,60,000 to the 20 per cent of the population in the country.

Chowkidar Chor Hai but Congress will give Rs 3,60,000 to the twenty percent of the population in the Country. I can say it is a surgical strike on the poverty after which no one in the country will remain poor,” said Rahul Gandhi addressing booth levels workers of his party here.

He also said to have consulted eminent economists including former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, before it came up with the minimum guaranteed income scheme.

“We have consulted eminent economist all over the world including the Raghuram Rajan. We are working not it since last 6 months silently without any noise,” said Rahul Gandhi.

With agencies input