Congress Protests Removal of 'Gandhi' From MGNREGA
Calling for protests from the village level to the districts, Congress leaders accused the BJP of conspiring to change the Constitution of India. They also alleged that the Centre was trying to institute cases against AICC leader Sonia Gandhi and her family members
Hyderabad: Ministers and state Congress leaders staged a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road in Secunderabad against the NDA-led BJP government for removing the Father of the Nation’s name from MGNREGA, a scheme meant to guarantee jobs for the rural poor, and replacing it with the VB-G RAM G Bill.
TPCC leaders alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Amit Shah were attempting to damage Gandhi’s legacy by removing his name from the scheme. They said the poor had benefited from MGNREGA across the nation.
“They removed Gandhi’s name because they worship Godse, who killed the Mahatma. These BJP leaders are focused on erasing Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology and service from the nation,” they said. “Mahatma Gandhi’s name is immortal in the hearts of the people, and no one can erase it.”
Calling for protests from the village level to the districts, Congress leaders accused the BJP of conspiring to change the Constitution of India. They also alleged that the Centre was trying to institute cases against AICC leader Sonia Gandhi and her family members.
At Gandhi Bhavan, Sama Ram Mohan Reddy, PCC media and communications chairman, accused the BJP government of having a hidden agenda in bringing in the VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin) Bill, describing it as a “secret hydrogen bomb on poor Hindus.”
Addressing the media, Reddy said the decision was dangerous and would dismantle a lifeline for rural India. “The Centre is not only diluting the rights of the people, but violating the Constitution. Through centralised powers, the livelihood of people is threatened and transparency is eroded,” he explained.
He noted that Telangana has 53 lakh MGNREGA job card holders, who would be further pushed into poverty. He added that the Centre had placed 40 per cent of the scheme’s burden on the states. Reddy alleged that the BJP was not only conspiring to remove Gandhi’s name, but to eliminate the entire scheme. “All those working under the employment guarantee scheme are Hindus. What problem do BJP leaders have with Gandhi’s name” he asked.