Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar’s remarks
+ on the Congress’s promise of minimum income guarantee scheme “Nyay” as a violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) and asked him to “exercise caution” in the future.
“The Commission has come to the conclusion that your comments violate the said MCC norms. The Commission has, therefore, decided to convey its displeasure to you for your comments and expects that you shall exercise caution in future,” the poll panel said in a letter to the Niti Aayog vice-chairman.
Kumar had accused the Congress of promising the moon to win elections. He had also tweeted, saying “The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test”.
In another tweet, Kumar had claimed that, “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.”
On March 27, the poll panel had sought Kumar’s response on these remarks.
The EC had felt that since Kumar is a bureaucrat, his remarks were prima facie violative of the model code.
Rajiv Kumar, on his part, had told the Election Commission that he spoke against Congress’s Nyay scheme as an economist and not as part of the policy body.
In his reply to a show-cause notice, Kumar is also learnt to have said that he can speak out his mind as an economist on important issues concerning policy and economy.
The EC said it had considered his reply and did not find it to be “satisfactory”.
“The spirit of the model code of conduct requires all public servants to ensure the sanctity of the electoral process, not to either engage in or appear to engage in any activity that disturbs or appears to disturb the level playing field of conduct of election or creates doubts in the minds of stakeholders about the integrity of the electoral process.
“Public servants should not only be impartial in their conduct but also in their public utterances, which was found wanting in the instant case,” the poll panel said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar violated poll code: Election Commission – Times of India