No burden on middle class to fund Nyay: Rahul

Pune: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party's manifesto was an expression of the people of India and ruled out burdening the middle class to fund the anti-poverty scheme Nyunatam Aay Yojana (Nyay).

The opposition party has said that if voted to power, it will give Rs 72,000 per year as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, a move Gandhi has termed a 'surgical strike' on poverty. Interacting with students in Pune, Gandhi said the manifesto has been prepared after consultations with all stakeholders.

"The middle class will not be taxed and income tax will not be increased to implement the Nyay scheme where Rs 72,000 will be deposited in bank accounts of poor people every year if the party is voted to power," he said. The Nyay minimum income guarantee scheme is estimated to cost Rs 3.26 lakh crore to the national exchequer.

The BJP, which has criticised the scheme, has sought to know how it will be funded. During the free-wheeling interaction, moderated by RJ Malishka and actor Subodh Bhave, Gandhi answered a number of questions, ranging from politics, his personal life and his bond with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

He said the Congress was committed to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and assemblies to substantially increase their representation in the state and central legislatures.

Gandhi described demonetisation as a "disastrous idea", which had a terrible impact on the economy.