BSP supremo Mayawati attacks BJP, Congress; says both are betraying the interests of people

Mayawati made the comment at a time when the Congress announced the Rs 72,000-crore minimum income guarantee scheme for the poorest people in the country.

Mayawati said: " Ruling BJP calling Congress slogan of Garibi Hatao 2.0 as bluff is true. But is poll bluff & reneging of poll promises the sole domain of the BJP? In fact BJP & Congress party are both birds of the same feather in betraying the interests of the poor, labourers, farmers & others."

Mayawati's BSP and Samajwadi Party will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls together in Uttar Pradsh.

Rahul Gandhi justifies his scheme:

Justifying his announcement of the Rs 72,000-crore minimum income guarantee scheme for the poorest people in the country, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he had discussed the same with former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan. 

"We consulted all big economists, without telling anyone and without giving any speech. We were engaged in this work for six months. Take the list of all big economists of the world, we consulted them (including) Raghuram Rajan," Gandhi said at an event in Jaipur.

Gandhi said the scheme was not a "free gift" to the poor but "justice".

"They did Demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax. We will give NYAY and a real GST. NYAY= Surgical Strike on Poverty = 72,000 Rs a year to India’s poorest 20%," Gandhi tweeted targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Gandhi said his party will implement the scheme if voted to power in the upcoming polls.

What is the scheme?

The scheme, which has been worked out by former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, has marked Rs. 12,000 a month as the "minimum income line".

Any poor but working person, who has an income of less than Rs. 12,000 per month, will be helped by the scheme to touch the "minimum income line". Once the person's income naturally becomes Rs. 12,000 per month, the scheme will automatically cease to work.

What has Rahul Gandhi said about the scheme earlier?

Claiming the scheme as fiscally feasible, Gandhi said: "The scheme will eradicate poverty in the country. This is the final assault on poverty."

"Today is a historical day," the Congress president said.

Gandhi said the scheme will benefit 25 crore people in the country.

When will the General Election begin?

The first phase of the Lok Sabha election will begin on Apr 11. The election will continue in seven phases till May 19.

The poll results will be declared on May 23.