Sharmila Slams Centre’s Move to Rename MGNREGA

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y.S. Sharmila on Tuesday strongly criticised the Centre’s proposal to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, terming it an attack on the legacy and ideals of the Father of the Nation.

In a post on X, Ms. Sharmila launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “an heir to Nathuram Godse.” She alleged that while Godse physically assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Modi was now attempting another form of “murder” by erasing Gandhiji’s name and undermining the values and goals of the freedom movement through the renaming of the flagship employment guarantee scheme.

Calling the move “an act of treason,” the APCC chief said removing Gandhiji’s name from the scheme amounted to an unforgivable betrayal by the NDA government led by the BJP. She alleged that the proposal to rename MGNREGA as “VB G RAM–G” (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission–Gramina) was a deliberate attempt to insult Mahatma Gandhi and accused the RSS of trying to recast the scheme as its own ideological programme.

Ms. Sharmila questioned what she described as the BJP’s hostility towards freedom fighters and former Prime Ministers and called for strong resistance to the Centre’s move. She urged MPs from the State to raise their voices against the proposal and appealed to people across the country to oppose what she termed an assault on Gandhiji’s legacy.