'Immoral To Remove Bapu's Name:' Priyanka Gandhi Slams MGNREGA Name Change Move

Priyanka Gandhi opposes Centre’s Bill to replace MGNREGA, says it weakens rural job guarantee and must be withdrawn.

The Bill also referred to as the G Ram G Bill, aims to replace MGNREGA.

Source : ANI

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Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday strongly opposed the Centre’s proposed Bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling it an attempt to weaken a landmark law that has supported rural livelihoods for nearly two decades. She said no legislation should be passed based on “whim, ambition and prejudice” and demanded the withdrawal of the Bill.

The Bill also referred to as the G Ram G Bill, aims to replace MGNREGA. Meanwhile, the Congress staged a protest on the Parliament premises against the proposed legislation, with party leaders holding photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, after whom MGNREGA is named.

In the Lok Sabha, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought permission to introduce the Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025.

Priyanka Opposes Bill Move

Priyanka Gandhi opposed the introduction of the Bill under Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House. “MGNREGA has been successful in providing livelihood to rural India and strengthening the rural economy for 20 years. It is a revolutionary law that received support from all political parties when it was introduced. It guarantees 100 days of employment in a year to the poorest of the poor,” she said in the House.

MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 by the UPA government, guarantees 100 days of paid work annually to rural households and has been widely credited with boosting rural incomes and economic resilience.

Funding, Rights Under Fire

Priyanka Gandhi argued that MGNREGA is demand-driven, with funding linked to actual demand for work, while the new Bill allows the Centre to decide allocations in advance. She also said the proposed law weakens the role of Gram Sabhas, which currently assess local employment needs. “The right to employment is being weakened, and this goes against the spirit of the Constitution,” she said.

She further criticised the reduction of the Centre’s funding share to 60 per cent for most states, warning that it would strain state finances at a time when many are awaiting GST dues from the Centre. Questioning the repeated renaming of schemes, she said such changes incur additional costs and should not be done without detailed discussion. “This Bill should be withdrawn and a new one brought after proper deliberation,” she said.

Opposition Rallies Around Gandhi

Responding to remarks from treasury bench members, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Mahatma Gandhi is not from my family, but he is like a family member to me and to the entire country.”

Several opposition leaders echoed her concerns. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor termed it “immoral” to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, while others flagged issues such as the shift from demand-based to normative funding and the reduction in the Centre’s contribution.

Govt Defends Bill

Government sources defended the Bill, saying it aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. They argued that normative funding allows predictable budgeting and rational planning while ensuring employment or unemployment allowance for eligible workers.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Congress was objecting because the new scheme’s name includes a reference to Lord Ram, a charge the opposition has rejected.

 

 

 

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