NITI Aayog vice-chairman violated poll code: Election Commission

Accusing the Congress of using the scheme - which seeks to pay Rs 72,000 a year to India's poorest - just to win the election, Kumar had said: “The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test.”

An Election Commission statement today said it had found Kumar's reply to its show-cause notice unsatisfactory. It said: "The spirit of 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 integrity of the electoral process.”

“The Commission has come to the conclusion that your above mentioned 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,” it said.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Kumar is said to have told the Election Commission that he had spoken against the Congress scheme in the capacity of an economist and not as the NITI Aayog vice-chairman.

The Model Code of Conduct is a set of rules to be followed by government officials and political parties in the time of elections.