Repeal of MGNREGA: Congress leaders in K'taka to gherao Raj Bhawan or state BJP HQ on January 27

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) Congress leaders in Karnataka will gherao the Raj Bhawan or the state BJP headquarters in Bengaluru on January 27 as part of their protest against the repeal of the MGNREGA, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said here on Sunday.

Leaders of the party will also undertake a five-km walk in every Assembly constituency of the southern state while opposing the new VB-G RAM G Act, he added.

The senior Congress leader said the party has also convened a special session of the Karnataka Assembly to discuss the MGNREGA programme and condemn its withdrawal.

Shivakumar, who is staying back in Delhi after holding deliberations with the top Congress leadership on the Assam Assembly polls, due later in the year, said he attended a meeting in the national capital to chalk out the agitational programme.

He said the Congress is going to fight on the issue of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as he attended a virtual meeting of party leaders.

"We have already informed all our panchayat members about this fight. A meeting has already been held with everyone, including our MLAs and MPs, about this fight. Our general secretary in-charge will also come to Karnataka on January 27. Everything was discussed at the meeting on Sunday," Shivakumar told reporters here.

He said top Congress leaders have held a meeting with all the state party chiefs in this regard.

"We will condemn this withdrawal of the MGNREGA and fight. We will take to the streets and also fight at the panchayat level. We are going to do a five-kilometre walk in each constituency on the MGNREGA issue," Shivakumar said.

Asked about his meeting with the top Congress leadership on the issue of leadership change in Karnataka, he said, "We are politicians.... There is nothing wrong with doing politics." On why he is staying back in Delhi, the deputy chief minister said, "We are coming to Delhi for government work, party work and our politics. I will not speak openly about the meeting with the high-command leaders. Time will tell everything." There has been speculation over leadership change issues in Karnataka and Shivakumar's continued stay in the national capital. PTI LUX/SKC RC