Hyderabad, Dec.17 (RAHNUMA): Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Wednesday accused the Congress party of indulging in ‘irresponsible politics’ by misleading the public over the alleged abolition of the MGNREGA scheme.
Addressing media persons at the BJP state office, Rao clarified that the Central government has not scrapped MGNREGA, but has only ‘refined and expanded it’ under the new name “Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) – 2025” (VB-GRAM G)”. In fact, the scheme aligns with “Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj and Ram Rajya”, and now offers enhanced benefits, including an increase in guaranteed employment days from 100 to 125 days, he noted.
Rao alleged that the Congress was opposing the scheme merely because it includes the word “Ram”, accusing the party of prioritising political hatred over public welfare. He questioned as to why the Congress, which claims Gandhi’s legacy, objects to the philosophy of Ram Rajya that Gandhi himself believed in.
Highlighting funding differences, Rao claimed that during the 10-year UPA regime, only about Rs.1 lakh crore was spent on MGNREGA, whereas the present NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent over Rs.8 lakh crore in the last decade. He further accused the Congress leadership of exploiting the Gandhi surname for political gains, asserting that respecting Mahatma Gandhi lies in implementing his ideas, not merely using his name.
