Interacting with students in Pune, Mr Gandhi said the manifesto has been prepared after consultations with all stakeholders.

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 Congress, in its manifesto, 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 he called a ”surgical strike” on poverty.

Interacting with students in Pune, Mr Gandhi said the manifesto has been prepared after consultations with all stakeholders.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram has also said the middle class won’t bear the burden for implementation of the Nyay scheme.

“I have already said in press conference and various interviews: there will be no increase in the tax burden of the middle class. This is our promise,” Mr Chidambaram tweeted.