Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the BJP of 'murdering Gandhi again' by replacing MGNREGA and removing his name. He claims the move will halt rural development, as the party launched statewide protests against the new VB-G RAM G scheme.
Congress Accuses BJP of Erasing Gandhi's Legacy
The Congress on Sunday stepped up its attack on the Centre's newly enacted Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), with senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had deliberately removed Mahatma Gandhi's name to undermine rural development. Speaking to the media in Prayagraj, Tiwari said the issue was not merely about renaming a scheme but about erasing Gandhi's legacy.
"It would have been fine if they had also changed the name to Ram, but they only wanted to remove Gandhi's name. Godse had ended Gandhi ji by firing three bullets, but the current BJP has murdered Gandhi once again by amending the law and running the bulldozer of majority," he alleged. Tiwari further claimed that the move would "halt rural development" and termed the removal of Gandhi's name from MGNREGA as "unfortunate."
'MGNREGA Bachao' Protests in Uttar Pradesh
The remarks came amid protests by Congress workers across Uttar Pradesh against the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and its replacement with the VB-G RAM G scheme.
On Sunday, Congress workers staged a protest under the banner 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' at Townhall Park in Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai, along with party workers, observed a symbolic fast near the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
State President Leads Fast, Outlines Future Action
"We are on a fast. Around the Mahatma Gandhi and Bhimrao Ambedkar statue, we are sitting on a fast. This government ended the MGNREGA law, and to protest that each of our Congress workers is sitting on the streets," Rai told ANI.
He added that the party wanted to "remove those who want to remove Mahatma Gandhi's name."
The Congress leader also outlined the party's future course of action, stating that rallies would be organised across Uttar Pradesh, culminating in a major rally in Lucknow to be attended by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other national leaders.
Nationwide Agitation Against New Rural Employment Act
Earlier, on January 3, the Congress had announced a nationwide three-phase agitation titled 'MGNREGA Bachao' following the enactment of the VB-G RAM G Act.
President Droupadi Murmu recently gave assent to the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, marking a major shift in the Centre's rural employment policy.
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