Rs 72k/year scheme a path-breaking initiative: Amarinder

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday hailed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's proposal of Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income to India's poorest families as a "path-breaking" initiative.

"The Congress is completely focused on constructive policies in sharp contrast to the BJP's destructive and disruptive game-plan for the Lok Sabha elections," Singh said in a statement.

Instead of finding faults in the scheme, the Congress leader suggested, the Bharatiya Janata Party should concentrate on answering what they had done in the past five years.

"With one stroke, Rahul has brought hope into the lives of the country's poorest of the poor and exposed the Narendra Modi government's failure to reach out to the 250 million (25 crore) people who would benefit from the Congress president's proposed minimum income guarantee scheme, which is a path-breaking initiative," he said.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi said 20-per cent families in the 'poorest of the poor' category would be given Rs 72,000 each annually as a minimum income, a big poll promise described him as a "groundbreaking" measure to end poverty.

"Instead of wasting time in countering the Bharatiya Janata Party's negative poll propaganda, Rahul is wholeheartedly focusing on figuring out ways of addressing the basic problems of the people of India, who have suffered abominably under the Modi government," Singh said.

"While the Modi government is busy politicising the defence forces and trying to take credit for the recent IAF strikes across the LoC, the Congress, led by Rahul, is engaged in exploring ways to alleviate the sufferings of the people," the chief minister said.

The Congress leader lashed out at the BJP for allegedly failing to deliver on any of its promises, including employment for youth and doubling of the farmers' income, over the past five years.

Singh accused the BJP of politicising the defence forces for electoral gains, alleging that it was being done to cover up the failures of the Modi government on all fronts.