'Conspiracy to remove Gandhi's name': Congress announces nationwide protest on G Ram G Act; claims PMO took unilateral decision

NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday announced that it will launch a nation-wide protest against the Centre for replacing rural employment scheme - MGNREGA - with VB G-RAM-G law. After the Congress Working Committee meet, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that replacing the scheme named after Mahatama Gandhi is insult to the father of the nation. "In the meeting, we took an oath. We decided to launch a massive movement across the country, making the MNREGA scheme the central point. Indian National Congress party, taking a leading role, will launch the Save MNREGA Campaign from January 5th," Kharge said during a media briefing."We will protect the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) at all costs. MNREGA is not just a scheme, but a right to work granted by the Constitution of India. We also pledge to democratically oppose every conspiracy to remove Gandhiji's name from MNREGA," he added.Kharge said that people are angry over repeal of MGNREGA and the government will have to face the consequences. Meanwhile, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi took the decision of replacing MNREGA without consulting the concerned ministers or the Union Cabinet.“MGNREGA was not just a scheme; it was a rights-based concept… This direct, rights-based concept is now under attack… Finally, I have been informed that this decision was taken directly by the Prime Minister’s Office, without consulting the concerned ministers or the Cabinet," Rahul said."This reflects the present situation, where governance has become a one-man show and whatever Narendra Modi wants is carried out," he added.The LoP in Lok Sabha also vowed to oppose the move, saying, "As Kharge ji has said, we are going to resist it. We are going to fight it. And I'm confident that the entire opposition is going to be aligned against this action."The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill that replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA was passed during the recently concluded winter session of Parliament. President Droupadi Murmu has already given her assent to it.The Congress and other opposition parties have taken strong exception to the new law replacing MGNREGA, stating that it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi as his name has been removed from its title.The new law makes a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.However, instead of being a Central scheme, the new law provides that the Centre and the states will have to share a 60:40 per cent ratio funding for the scheme