Have consulted eminent economist including Raghuram Rajan for NYAY scheme : Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the Congress had consulted eminent economists including former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, before it came up with the minimum guaranteed income scheme , which ensures that nobody in the country remains below the benchmark of Rs 12,000 per month.

He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fake promise of Rs 15 lakh while Congress will actually give Rs 3,60,000 to the 20 per cent of the population in the country.

"Chowkidar Chor Hai but Congress will give Rs 3,60,000 to the twenty percent of the population in the Country. I can say it is a surgical strike on the poverty after which no one in the country will remain poor," said Rahul Gandhi addressing booth levels workers of his party here.

Congress on Tuesday clarified that its minimum income guarantee initiative, NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana), is not a "top-up scheme" but assures Rs 72,000 to 20 per cent of India's poorest families.

"We have consulted eminent economist all over the world including the Raghuram Rajan. We are working not it since last 6 months silently without any noise," said Rahul Gandhi.

He also said that Congress workers will fight with BJP and RSS workers but will not thrash them.

"There is a difference between our workers and leaders and theirs. They want to finish Congress and make Congress-free India, but we love them. We will fight them but we will not thrash them, even if we are capable of thrashing them we will not thrash them," said Rahul Gandhi.

He said that Congress party is not liked RSS and BJP and doesn't wear 'half-pants' and spread 'hatred'.

"This is Congress party and not RSS. Here we don't wear half pant and carry lathi in our hands and spread hatred," said Rahul Gandhi.

"We do our work with love and affection. If someone says something in between the speech it doesn't affect us," said Rahul.

He said that BJP government was formed in 2014 by 'tukka' (by fluke).

"It's ok that their government was formed by 'tukka' in 2014, that is a different thing, but in the history of this country those who spread hatred have always lost while those spread love won," he said.

The Congress leader alleged that BJP gets entangled in his own net with its untruths.

"Prime Minister gives very good speeches but his speeches are full of lies. He get trapped in his own lies on Rafale and others like giving 15 lakh, running bullet train etc" said Rahul Gandhi.

The 17th Lok Sabha election will be held in seven phases beginning April 11. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.