POLITICS
Karnataka Congress protests MGNREGA renaming and National Herald case politics
State leaders accuse BJP of undermining rural employment scheme and targeting party in National Herald case
The Karnataka Congress on Wednesday staged a major protest against the central government’s move to rename the rural employment law MGNREGA and alleged “hate politics” targeting the party leadership in the National Herald case.
The demonstration, held in front of the Gandhi statue at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, was led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and saw participation from state ministers, MLAs and MLCs. Similar protests are planned across district and taluka centres in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil criticised the BJP for renaming the scheme, arguing that it could not tolerate the programme’s success.
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“This was one of the most successful programmes in India’s history, started under Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, providing employment locally and promoting village development. The BJP could not digest this and changed the name,” he said.
Patil also questioned the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme. “When Mahatma Gandhi’s name was already part of the programme—the Father of the Nation—why remove it? The BJP’s desperation to undermine this success is clear,” he added.
The protests come following the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, which seeks to replace MGNREGA. The opposition has strongly objected to the removal of Gandhi’s name from the new legislation.
The Congress demonstration was further fuelled by a recent development in the National Herald case. A court in Delhi on Tuesday refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s money-laundering charges against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and five others, which the party described as an example of politically motivated targeting.
The Karnataka Congress has also indicated it will raise these issues in the state legislature during the ongoing session.
With PTI inputs
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