NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar Violated Election Code: Poll Body

NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar violated the Model Code of Conduct by speaking against the Congress's NYAY or minimum income guarantee promise plan, the Election Commission said on Friday, rejecting his reply as not satisfactory.

"The commission has considered your reply and has not found the same to be satisfactory," the Election Commission said in a letter to Mr Kumar.

"Public Servants should not only be impartial in their conduct but also in their public utterances, which was found wanting in the instant case," the letter also said.

The poll body has conveyed its displeasure to Rajiv Kumar.

"The Commission has decided to convey its displeasure to you for your comments and expects that you shall exercise caution in future," it said.

Rajiv Kumar had accused the Congress of promising the moon to win elections. He had tweeted, "The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test."

In another tweet, Mr Kumar had claimed that "true to its past record of promising the moon to win elections, Congress President announces a scheme that will bust fiscal discipline, create strong incentives against work and which will never be implemented."

In his reply to the Election Commission, Mr Kumar is reportedly told the poll body that he spoke against Congress's NYAY scheme as an economist and not as part of the policy body.

He had also said that his remarks should not be construed as the stand of NITI Aayog.

Last month, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs. 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

The Congress chief had called the proposal a "final assault on poverty", saying it would benefit 25 crore people.