The Telangana Congress, led by its president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government on Tuesday over its proposal to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The leaders alleged the move is a deliberate attempt to erase the name and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi from one of India's most pivotal welfare laws.
Congress Leaders Decry 'Unacceptable' Move
State Congress chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud, alongside party MPs and ministers, strongly criticised the Centre's draft legislation, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025. Goud labelled the renaming proposal as both "unacceptable and dangerous," arguing that it dilutes the spirit of the historic scheme which embodies Gandhian principles of labour dignity and social justice.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi echoed these sentiments, stating that removing Gandhi's name from MGNREGA was unacceptable. He emphasised that the scheme is a reflection of Gandhi's ideals for rural empowerment and that renaming it amounts to erasing the legacy of the Father of the Nation.
State-Wide Protests Announced
In response, Mahesh Kumar Goud has called for immediate protests. He has directed all district Congress committee presidents to organise demonstrations on Wednesday, December 17, at their respective district headquarters. Protestors have been asked to carry portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, as per the directive from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Furthermore, Goud announced that similar programmes will be held across villages and mandals in Telangana on December 28, which marks the Congress party's foundation day. "On that day, the Congress will reaffirm its commitment to social justice and respect for labour," he stated, urging every worker and leader to ensure the success of both protest days.
Allegations of Weakening Federalism and the Scheme
Going beyond the issue of nomenclature, the Congress leaders accused the Centre of a broader conspiracy to undermine the employment guarantee framework. Mahesh Goud alleged that instead of creating a new guarantee to tackle urban poverty, the government is trying to weaken the existing rural employment guarantee. "The BJP is conspiring to kill the spirit and soul of MGNREGA," he charged.
He also accused the Union government of withholding legally mandated funds to states and shifting the financial burden by proposing that states bear 40% of the scheme's cost. "After centralising GST and curbing states' autonomy, this is another attempt to undermine federalism. We will fight this," Goud asserted.
BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar demanded the immediate withdrawal of the proposed bill, calling the replacement of Gandhi's name an "insult to the nation." He highlighted MGNREGA's role as a lifeline for rural India during the Covid-19 crisis and stressed that any change to such a significant law must involve consultations with states. He recalled that the original act was framed after extensive discussions with activists and intellectuals like Nikhil Dey, Aruna Roy, Haragopal, and Shanta Sinha.
Concluding the party's stance, Mahesh Kumar Goud made a significant promise: if the Congress returns to power at the Centre, it will not only restore the scheme in Mahatma Gandhi's name but also extend its coverage to urban areas.
