Palaniswami lacks courage to protest against removing Gandhi's name from scheme: TN CM

Chennai, Dec 23 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday claimed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami lacked the courage to protest against the Centre for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the rural employment scheme.

Taking strong exception to Palaniswami's recent remark that Stalin "did not have the heart to appreciate" the G RAM G Act, which ensures 125 mandays, the chief minister said the Leader of the Opposition was unaware that Centre imposed several conditions to implement the new legislation replacing MGNREGA.

"Has the autocracy of burdening the state with 40 per cent funding (for the scheme) been abandoned? No one expected you to have the courage to question Delhi... I would like to remind you that you are scripting the final chapter of your political career by supporting the BJP government to bury MGNREGA, which eradicated poverty and raised the dignity of the people, under the UPA government," he said in a post on the social media platform 'X'.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that replaced the rural employment law Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was cleared by the Parliament, amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it. PTI JSP JSP KH