New Delhi, March 27: The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and asked him to reply for his tweets on the Congress party's poll promise of minimum income support for the poor. Rahul Gandhi Explains Congress' Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme, Promises 'Rs 72,000 Per Year to 20% Most Poor Families'.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that the Congress would provide a minimum income support to the poorest 20 percent of the population so as to help the poor earn at least Rs 12,000.  Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Will Keep a Telescopic View on Rahul Gandhi's Income in Election Nomination, Says BJP.

For this, the party said that it would pay the difference, up to Rs 6,000 in the form of income support to those earning less than 12,000 a month. Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi Firm Up Narratives in Election Criss-Cross.

The scheme by Congress, known as Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) announced by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, came under sharp criticism from the NITI Aayog official Rajiv Kumar, who questioned the scheme in a series of tweets. However, the Election Commission (EC) has asked the NITI Aayog Vice Chairman to explain his actions.

"Congress party promised Garibi Hatao in 1971, OROP in 2008, Food Security in 2013 to win elections, but couldn't fulfill any of those. The same unfortunate fate awaits the populist and opportunistic promise of Minimum Income Guarantee (sic)," said a tweet by Kumar.

"The cost of the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme at 2% of GDP and 13% of the budget will ensure that real needs of people remain unsatisfied," said another tweet by Rajiv Kumar.

The NITI Aayog is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister holds the position of the chairman of the government's leading think tank. Talking to news agency ANI, Kumar reportedly said that the Congress' scheme would have "a huge fiscal adverse impact on the economy".

In another development, the EC also wrote to Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Civil Aviation, asking them why have the pictures of PM Modi not been removed from rail tickets and Air India boarding passes even after Model Code of Conduct has come into effect. They've been asked to submit a reply within three days, said reports.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 27, 2019 09:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).