Congress takes out rally in Kolkata against MGNREGA renaming, leaders detained

Kolkata, Dec 24 (PTI) The police on Wednesday detained West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhankar Sarkar along with several party leaders and activists during a rally towards Lok Bhavan to protest the renaming of the MGNREGA.

Alleging that the move was aimed at diluting the scheme, the Congress delegation, led by Sarkar, also burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the protest.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill was passed by Parliament, amid opposition protests. It seeks to replace the existing rural employment law, MGNREGA, and guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year.

“We strongly condemn the Narendra Modi government’s decision to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the 100 Days’ Right to Work scheme and rename it as the so-called ‘Viksit Bharat-G-RAM–G scheme," Sarkar said while being detained by the police.

“By misusing the name of Ram, Narendra Modi is tarnishing the revered legacy of Mahatma Gandhi as well as that of Purushottam Shri Ram,” he alleged.

This decision is also an attack on the very foundation of Gandhiji’s vision of Gram Swaraj and the idea of building a Sarvodaya (welfare-for-all) society, Sarkar added.

Congress leaders were demanding a meeting with Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to submit their petition, which, however, was not fruitful.

The detained leaders were later released, police said.

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the VB-G RAM G Bill. PTI SCH NN