’Guaranteed minimum income for the poor across the country if voted to power’: Rahul Gandhi

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jan 28, 2019 : Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today announced what promises to be the party’s big pitch in this election -- a guaranteed minimum income for the poor across the country, much like the system of social security in the US. The idea takes forward the UPA government’s MNREGA, the rural employment guarantee scheme that ensured 100 days’ job to every person, NDTV reported.

 

"The Congress has decided to take a historic decision... If voted to power in 2019, the Congress-led government is going to give minimum income guarantee," Mr Gandhi said at a rally in Raipur.

"This means, each poor person in India will have minimum income. This means there will be no hungry, poor people in India... This is our vision and our promise," he added.

"We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers and sisters suffer the scourge of poverty," added the Congress chief, whose party was known for its welfare measures during a decade in power.

The Congress chief had ended the last week on a high, announcing the entry of his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into active politics from eastern Uttar Pradesh, which would pitch her against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his constituency Varanasi, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from his home turf Gorakhpur.

The Congress, Mr Gandhi had reiterated at the time, "will not play on the backfoot".