Congress slams the Centre for renaming MGNREGA, calling it a BJP-RSS attempt to erase Gandhi’s legacy and undermine a key rural jobs lifeline.
Congress leaders protest the Centre’s move to rename MGNREGA, accusing the government of erasing Gandhi’s legacy and weakening rural job rights (Photo: File)
New Delhi: Congress on Monday hit back at the government after the Centre introduced a Bill that will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) and opposed it saying that this is a BJP-RSS conspiracy to end the scheme named after Bapu.
The new Bill is called The Viksit Bharat Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Grameen), shortened as VB G RAM G.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on X in Hindi hit back at the government and said, "This is not just about renaming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This is a BJP-RSS conspiracy to end MGNREGA."
"Erasing Gandhi's name on the centenary of the Sangh shows how hollow and hypocritical those are who, like Modi ji, offer flowers to Bapu on foreign soil," Kharge said, adding, "The government that recoils from the rights of the poor is the one that attacks MGNREGA."
"The Congress Party will strongly oppose in Parliament and on the streets any such decision of this arrogant regime that is against the poor and workers," he added.
"We will not allow the rights of crores of poor people, laborers, and workers to be snatched away by those in power," the Congressleader said.
Even senior Congress leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned the objective behind changing the name of the rural job guarantee scheme.
"Why are they removing Mahatma Gandhi's name? He is considered the biggest Indian leader. Whenever such a name changes, a lot of expenditure happens in stationery and paperwork," she said.
"I don't understand what the objective is. The Parliament is not functioning. We are not discussing pressing issues; time and public money are being wasted," the Congress general secretary said.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal also hit back at the government and in a post in X said, "Their ideological associates killed his body, and they are today erasing his name to kill his idea. We staunchly oppose the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme."
"So strong is the urge to wipe out Bapu’s name, that they are bulldozing this Bill through Parliament in violation of all established norms - once again treating the pinnacle of our democracy as nothing more than a rubber stamp for their parochial agenda," tye Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kerala said.
He said that instead of fixing the financial mess they have pushed MGNREGA into, the BJP has decided to rename the scheme instead.
"Calling it the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) - G RAM G is a grave insult to Mahatma Gandhi," Venhgopal alleged.
He said that Mahatma Gandhi knew the power of the rural economy, "and the name was a fitting tribute to how deeply connected he was to rural life".
"Erasing his name is a deep insult to our national consciousness. This regime will go to any lengths to remove Gandhi from our country’s psyche, but he lives in all our hearts and we will do everything under the sun to ensure his stature as India’s Father of the Nation is never diminished," he added.
