Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched a sharp critique against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government for its decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He accused the Centre of prioritising nomenclature over substantive public welfare and ensuring wages for workers.
Performance Over Rebranding: Mann's Core Argument
Mann was responding to questions about the proposed Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace MGNREGA and potentially shift a greater financial burden onto state governments. The Chief Minister advised the Centre to instead concentrate on guaranteeing assured wages for MGNREGA workers and actively eliminating fictitious beneficiaries from the scheme.
Referring to the BJP's "ongoing spree of rebranding" which includes renaming cities and railway stations, Mann quipped, "I fear they may change the country's name to Deen Dayal Upadhaya Nagar. Change will happen with work, not by changing names."
He elaborated with a pointed analogy: "If you change your name to Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, or [Lionel] Messi, you still wouldn't attract the same crowds when you go out." This implied that genuine performance, not a name change, is what garners popular support.
Wages, Not Names, Matter to Workers
Emphasising the ground reality for labourers, Mann stated that for the public, work is what truly matters. "You may call it Allahabad or Prayagraj, how did it affect the common people? For MGNREGA workers, the name wouldn't matter; what matters is they should get their full wages for a complete 150 days," he asserted.
He highlighted a persistent issue: "At many places, the elderly who actually work on the ground don't get the wages. We have rooted out such fictitious beneficiaries at many places."
When asked specifically about the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the flagship scheme, Mann retorted, "In Ahmedabad, the stadium is named after PM Narendra Modi. If you work for public welfare, people would remember by putting up your statues at crossings, otherwise in fields."
In a separate development, Mann confirmed that the notification to grant holy city status to old Amritsar, Talwandi Sabo, and Anandpur Sahib had been issued on Monday. He added that the state government would assist existing shop owners in these areas to relocate or switch their vocations in accordance with the new regulations.
Cleaning Up Kabaddi: Mann on Mohali Shooting
Shifting focus to law and order, Chief Minister Mann addressed the recent gunning down of a kabaddi player-promoter in Mohali's Sohana area. He indicated that the state government was considering an intervention to clean up the sport's administration, hinting at suspected involvement of gangsters based abroad and their influence on kabaddi federations.
"We are monitoring it closely. I cannot disclose the details due to security reasons. In the coming days, we will give you a roadmap after an analysis of where most such incidents have happened, who all are involved, and calls are received from which countries," Mann stated.
He firmly denied any laxity or patronage from his government, saying, "There is no laxity on the part of the state govt and there is no patronage to such elements." Instead, he blamed previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments for backing unscrupulous elements, leading to existing rivalries. "Kabaddi has always been marred by controversy across the world," he added.
Mann issued a stern warning: "No one will be able to disturb the law and order in the state. One should not imagine that he can fire gunshots and go and peacefully sleep in his mother's lap. Strict action will be taken if any attempt is made to disturb peace."
