Traders to Rahul: First implement Minimum Income Guarantee in Congress-ruled states

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Indian trading community has termed Congress president Rahul Gandhis Minimum Guarantee Income for poor as a poll promise and dared him to first implement this scheme in the Congress-ruled states on a pilot basis.

While addressing farmers in Chhattisgarhs capital, Raipur, on Monday, Rahul had announced that if Congress is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls then the Congress-led government is going to give minimum income guarantee to each poor person in India.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), apex body of 7 crore small businesses of the Country, said it will bring political fall out for the Congress as traders will be made the scapegoat of such announcement.

"It has become a habit of politicians to make unrealistic announcements and waiver at the cost of tax payers which is highly deplorable," said the CAIT in a statement.

Maintaining that it is nothing but merely a political statement of Rahul Gandhi made in the air, the CAIT said that if he is so convinced about his idea, let him start the program immediately in the States where Congress is in the power since they enjoy the majority and no one can stop them in converting such an announcement into a reality.

The traders body also said that it would have been better if Mr. Gandhi instead of making such lofty announcements, device means to develop more and more job opportunities to make people self-dependent.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has also ridiculed the Congress President for his announcement of Minimum Income Guarantee promise.

"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," BSP president Mayawati said.

Buoyed with the success of farm loan waiver promises in the recently held state assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi has been making appealing announcements just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that are due in April-May. The Congress has recently formed governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

On Tuesday, Rahul assured the passage of Women's Reservation Bill if Congress is voted to power in 2019. He made this promise while addressing a convention of party booth presidents and vice-presidents in Cochin.