New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that his party will scrap the Niti Aayog if voted to power in Lok Sabha elections as it has served no purpose other than marketing presentations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "fudging data".
He said the party will restore Planning Commission, which will have renowned experts and thin staff.
"If voted to power, we will scrap the Niti Aayog. It has served no purpose other than making marketing presentations for the PM & fudging data. We will replace it with a lean Planning Commission whose members will be renowned economists and experts with less than 100 staff," Gandhi said in a tweet.
Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar had slammed the Congress promise of minimum income guarantee scheme 'Nyay' saying that its cost at 2 per cent of the GDP and 13 per cent of the budget will ensure that real needs of people remain unsatisfied.
Kumar was issued notice by the Election Commission for his remarks. He has been asked to furnish his reply to an Election Commission notice by April 2.
Official sources said Kumar had sought time till April 5 from the Election Commission to respond to the show cause notice as he was abroad.
The poll body, however, Friday decided that he be asked to respond by April 2 evening. Earlier, Kumar was to respond by Thursday evening.
The Niti Aayog vice-chairman had accused the Congress of promising "moon to win elections".
He had also tweeted, "The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test."
In another tweet, Kumar claimed, "True to its past record of promising the moon to win elections, Congress President announces a scheme that will bust fiscal discipline, create strong incentives against work and which will never be implemented."
Kumar is reported to have made similar remarks during an interview as well.
At a press conference here Monday, Rahul Gandhi announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if Congress comes to power.
Sources in the poll panel said Kumar being a bureaucrat should not have made such political comments.
