Congress leader P Chidambaram hits out at Modi govt, terms PM Kisan scheme as 'bribe for votes'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will launch the Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers.

Congress leader P Chidambaram

New Delhi: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit out at the Modi government and termed  Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme as a 'bribe for votes'. With the government set to transfer the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to about 2 crore farmers over the next few days, Chidambaram today said the greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop it.

The greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop the 'Bribe for Votes'.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 24, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will launch the Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers. Under the scheme, another one crore farmers will be covered in the next 2-3 days, an Agriculture Ministry official had said. In a series of tweets, Chidambaram lashed out at BJP government and said, "Today is the 'Cash for Vote' day... The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes."  "The money will go to the cultivating farmer as well as the absentee landlord," the former finance minister further wrote.

The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 24, 2019

"Nothing can be more shameful in a democracy than 'Bribe for Votes'. The greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop the 'Bribe for Votes'," he said. In the interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares.