‘Is this promise also fake’: Mayawati on Rahul’s minimum income guarantee promise

Lucknow, Jan 29: BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi's claim of ensuring minimum income guarantee if his party was voted to power was also a fake one like Gareebi Hatao'.

Mayawati drew a parallel between the promise made by Rahul Gandhi with those made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before coming to power in 2014.

"The promise of Congress just before the Lok Sabha elections of guaranteeing minimum income has led to surprise and created doubts among countrymen," BSP president Mayawati said in a party release issued here.

"Is this promise another cruel joke like the Congress' promise of "garibi hatao" or that of the present BJP government of depositing Rs. 15 to 20 lakhs in the account of all poor or "achchey din" which have only proved to be hollow promises," Mayawati wondered.

The BSP leader advised Rahul Gandhi to first implement schemes relating to poverty alleviation and others related to welfare of people in Congress-ruled states especially in Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh so that people have faith that they can be implemented properly at the national level.

The record of both BJP and Congress is not good when it comes to election promises, she said and added that even if such promises have been implemented they have proved to be a mere eyewash. People can see results of "garibi hatao" slogan of former prime minister Indira Gandhi for themselves, she said, adding both the Congress and BJP should not make any promise which they cannot fulfil.

People have tested both the Congress and BJP in the past 72 years and therefore it is the appeal of the BSP that they believe the party which works more than making tall clams and promises, she said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that his party will ensure a minimum income guarantee for every poor person in the country if it comes to power after the summer's Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhi made the announcement at the Kisaan Abhaar Sammelan held in Raipur to express gratitude to the people of Chhattisgarh, particularly farmers, for voting the party to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.