'If sure about your defeat, you can promise Moon': BJP dismisses Rahul Gandhi's Rs. 72,000/year Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme

Two weeks before the first phase of Lok Sabha election begins, the Congress on Monday announced a minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyay, which aims to provide ₹72,000 annually to 20% of the poorest families in the country. "The scheme is expected to benefit at least 5 crore families", claims Mr. Gandhi. 

However, BJP has taken a dig at Rahul Gandhi's scheme saying that 'who takes it seriously?'. Talking to Twitter, BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav also put forth a question for Mr. Gandhi: 

"Already under different schemes poor families get much more support. Is it in addition to those schemes or they all will be subsumed in it?". 

Take a look:

WATCH: Rahul Gandhi Renews Congress' 47-year-old 'Garibi Hatao' Vow, Announces Rs. 72,000/year Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme With Porous Details

Earlier in the day, Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the party has been working on the Nyay scheme for the last 4-5 months and held several rounds of consultations.

"We are going to give justice to the poor people of India. Justice will be given by our Minimum Income Guarantee scheme, I will share some of its details with pride", he said.

"I've been asked wherever I go, what will be the line of this minimum income, and how many people will it help?", he said before answering his own question.

"I want to tell people, the line is Rs 12,000 per month. Are you shocked or not? This much money is there in India. Congress guarantees that India's 20% poorest families... wait for it... will get Rs 72,000 every year."

Gandhi further explained that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) had helped 14 crore individuals to come out of poverty and Nyay would be the party's second phase of poverty eradication attempt.

“This scheme will be implemented in a phased manner. There will be a pilot project first and then the entire scheme will be started. This scheme is fiscally prudent, it is doable and all the fiscal calculations have been done," Mr. Gandhi further said.

While the finer details of the scheme was not available, estimates indicate that the minimum income guarantee scheme could cost up to ₹3.7 lakh crore to the exchequer.