Renaming of MGNREGA insults Mahatma Gandhi, undermines poor’s rights: Himachal Congress

The Himachal Pradesh Congress held a protest in Shimla on Monday against the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Centre’s alleged attempt to dilute the landmark rural employment law.

Addressing party workers and supporters, state Congress president Vinay Kumar said the Congress would not allow the BJP to weaken the Act and would launch a statewide and nationwide public awareness campaign against the move.

“The Congress government had given a constitutional guarantee of employment to the poor and destitute at their doorstep through MGNREGA. The Narendra Modi government is now trying to weaken this guarantee,” Kumar said.

He accused the BJP of insulting Mahatma Gandhi by renaming the scheme and trampling upon the rights of the poor. Kumar pointed out that MGNREGA was passed unanimously after nearly 100 hours of debate in Parliament during the UPA regime, whereas the Modi government was attempting to alter its spirit in haste.

“The Congress will continue to fight for the rights of the poor and marginalised,” he asserted.

Vidit Chaudhary, All India Congress Committee (AICC) co-incharge for Himachal Pradesh, said the Congress had given the country landmark legislations such as the Right to Information, Right to Food and Right to Work, but alleged that the BJP government was systematically weakening these rights.

“Party workers must go door-to-door and make people aware of how the BJP is undermining the rights of the poor,” Chaudhary said.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, chairman of the All India Kisan Congress, said the Congress and its allies would oppose the renaming and dilution of MGNREGA both inside and outside Parliament, from “Sansad to Sadak”.

Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh alleged that the changes violated the jurisdiction and authority of gram panchayats. He announced that the Congress would observe a hunger strike on December 29 in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at The Ridge in Shimla as part of its protest.

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