Arunachal: Congress protests MGNREGA renaming, calls move politically motivated

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Congress in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday staged a peaceful protest rally at IG Park here, opposing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as the VB-G Ram G Bill, 2025.

Addressing the gathering, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bosiram Siram strongly criticized the move, describing it as unnecessary, politically motivated and aimed at erasing the legacy of the Congress party and Mahatma Gandhi.

He asserted that MGNREGA is not merely a welfare scheme but a statutory right of the rural poor, enacted by Parliament to guarantee livelihood security, dignity of labour and social justice.

Siram said the BJP government has failed to adequately strengthen MGNREGA through sufficient budgetary allocation, timely payment of wages and expansion of employment opportunities.

“Instead of addressing the real problems faced by rural workers, the government is indulging in symbolic renaming exercises to divert public attention from its administrative failures. No change of name can alter the pro-people spirit and constitutional foundation of MGNREGA,” he added.

APCC vice president Advocate Abraham Techi termed the renaming an affront to democratic values and parliamentary traditions.

He said the BJP’s focus on renaming welfare schemes reflects its inability to deliver on key issues such as employment generation, price stability and rural development.

Warning against any attempt to dilute the rights-based framework of MGNREGA, Techi said the Congress party and the INDIA bloc would strongly resist such moves.

The party’s vice president, Mina Toko, in her address, highlighted the adverse impact of government policies on rural women, job card holders and marginalized communities.

She said MGNREGA has been a lifeline for millions of households, particularly women, and urged the Centre to ensure the full 100 days of guaranteed work, fair wages and transparency instead of renaming a scheme that has transformed rural livelihoods.

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