Jaitley tears into Congress' minimum income scheme, calls it "bluff announcement"

Jaitley's verbal attack comes after Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that nearly 25 crore poor people in the country will get financial assistance of Rs 72,000 per annum if his party is voted to power under the minimum income guarantee scheme which the party has named "Nyay".

Union Minister Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday launched a broadside against the Congress ambitious minimum income guarantee scheme describing it as “bluff announcement”. “Indira Gandhi believed in re-distribution of poverty. Congress’ farm loan waiver just an eyewash. The part didn’t waive loan in Karnataka… No political party has betrayed India for more than seven decades other than the Congress Party,” Jaitley said in a press conference. Jaitley accused the Congress for misleading the country on the issue of poverty for 50 years. "Even after giving that slogan (gareebi hatao) if today you think that 20% people don't even have an income of Rs 12,000, then the cross hangs on your neck for letting down poor of the country," he charged. Earlier, Jaitley lashed out at the Congress in his Blog post on Facebook. “In 1971, ‘Garibi Hatao’ slogan was given by Indiraji. For two-third of the last 48 years her party has been in power. Yet, they left behind a legacy of poverty.” Jaitley's verbal attack comes after Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that nearly 25 crore poor people in the country will get financial assistance of Rs 72,000 per annum if his party  is voted to power under the minimum income guarantee scheme which the party has named "Nyay". Specifying details of the party's promised scheme at a press briefing here, Gandhi said the Congress will provide Rs 72,000 per annum to 20 per cent of the poorest families in the country. He said the scheme will directly benefit 5 crore poorest families and 25 crore individuals. Targeting  Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the PM-KISAN scheme launched last month, Gandhi said the scheme barely provides any assistance to the farmers. Responding to Gandhi’s claims Jaitley said the Narendra Modi government was already giving the poor what Rahul Gandhi has promised.