‘Political erasure of Congress history’: TPCC to join nationwide protest over MGNREGS move

Hyderabad: Following the call given by the All-India Congress Committee, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has decided on a nationwide protest against removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with the AICC secretary Vamshi Chand Reddy, Challa Narasimha Reddy, district president and other MLAs, former MPs and sarpanches, protested against the repeal of the decades-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of the Central government and the subsequent replacement of it by Viksit Bharat- Guarantee For Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill (VB-G RAM G).

‘BJP playing politics using caste and religion’

Mahesh Kumar Goud said, “Mahatma Gandhi lives in the heart of every village. Historically, every hamlet worshipped and installed statues of Gandhi, Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose for their sacrifices. PM Modi government has hurt the sentiments of the people.”

“Since 2014, the BJP government has made it a habit to play politics in the name of caste and religion. They promised 2 crore jobs per year—where are the 24 crore jobs that should have been created by now? Instead of creating new jobs, existing ones are being lost. Public sector undertakings (PSUs) are being privatised, undoing the visionary work of Jawaharlal Nehru.”

‘Congress created the scheme to provide dignity to rural poor’

Goud stated that the scheme originated when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was deeply moved by the plight of migrating labourers during her visit to Anantapur.

He said, “At that time, she consulted Dr Manmohan Singh to create this employment scheme to provide dignity to the rural poor.”

Why is Congress protesting the BJP’s move on MGNREGA?

The Congress party, under the call from their leader Sonia Gandhi and the AICC leadership, has launched a nationwide movement to protect the legacy of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The Congress party has objections to the BJP government over:

1. The De-branding issue

The protests are over the alleged rebranding of the scheme by removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from its official title. The new scheme is now called Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission.

2. The emotional connection

For the Congress party, MGNREGA is a flagship achievement of the UPA era. Sonia Gandhi has often referred to it as a ‘lifeline’ for India’s rural poor, especially during times of drought or economic distress.

3. The intention to erase Congress's contributions

The Congress leadership views the name change not just as a clerical shift, but as a deliberate attempt by the BJP to erase the historical contributions of the Congress and the legacy of the Father of the Nation. The protest serves to remind the public that the scheme was designed to provide a ‘Right to Work’ and must remain protected from partisan politics.

The 60:40 rule and the role of State and Central govt

In the 60:40 rule in the new bill, the state will have to pay 40 per cent, which the Opposition has strongly flagged as a massive financial burden, making it difficult to implement the scheme.

Previously, States and Gram Panchayats decided the working days, but in the new bill Centre will dictate the terms. This centralisation of the system will make it difficult to provide the work to the people.

‘Central move threatens livelihoods of 13 crore poor people’

MP Deepender Singh Hooda, who was in Hyderabad, said, “The PM Modi government wants authority, but when it comes to releasing funds, they are silent. This move threatens the livelihoods of 13 crore poor people across the country. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this ‘Food for Work’ scheme acted as a Sanjeevani (life-saver) for the masses.”

Hooda also warned that the Central government, led by the BJP, harbours intentions to replace the national symbols and wants to place those which go with the RSS ideologies.