Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp attack on the central government on Tuesday, alleging that its move to rename and restructure the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a covert attempt to eventually scrap the landmark welfare scheme.
"Disrespect to Father of the Nation"
Speaking at a protest against the proposed renaming of MGNREGA to G RAM G (Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin), Priyanka Gandhi accused the government of being "obsessed" with changing names, leading to unnecessary expenditure. She emphasized that the scheme carries the name of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, and altering it is an act of disrespect. "This scheme is named after Mahatma Gandhi. He is the Father of the Nation and his name should not be insulted," she stated.
She reminded that MGNREGA was enacted with unanimous political consensus. "When this law was passed, there was not a single national party that opposed it. It was made with everyone's consent," she said, highlighting its purpose to guarantee 100 days of employment to society's poorest.
Hidden Provisions Threaten Scheme's Existence
Questioning the government's claim of expanding employment from 100 to 125 days, Gandhi called the proposal misleading. "On the surface, it appears they are increasing workdays, but if you read it carefully, the scheme itself could come to an end," she alleged. She pointed out that the proposed G RAM G Bill contains 23 provisions that could weaken or dismantle the programme entirely.
She critically highlighted the proposed change in the funding pattern. "Earlier, 90 percent of the responsibility lay with the Centre to provide the funds. Now the Centre wants the work to continue but is shifting the burden onto states," Gandhi explained. She warned that poorer states would not be able to afford this, leading to the eventual collapse of the scheme.
Opposition Rallies in Parliament Protest
The accusations were made during a significant opposition demonstration. Several opposition MPs, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, staged a protest outside Parliament's Makar Dwar and later near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the compound. The protesters held photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and accused the Centre of attempting to dismantle the rural employment scheme under the guise of renaming it.
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought permission in the Lok Sabha to introduce the Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace MGNREGA. The government has stated that the new bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household and aims to create durable rural assets through a nationally coordinated strategy.
However, Priyanka Gandhi and the opposition remain unconvinced, framing the legislative change as a fundamental threat to a key social safety net. "The truth is that in the garb of changing the name of the scheme, they want to scrap this scheme," she concluded.
