‘Why Remove Mahatma Gandhi’s Name?’: Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre’s Move to Replace MGNREGA
Congress leader questions intent behind repealing flagship rural job scheme and renaming it VB-G RAM G; calls it wasteful expenditure amid broader Opposition backlash.
New Delhi, December 15, 2025 – Congress General Secretary and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday sharply criticised the Central government’s decision to introduce a Bill repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replacing it with a new law titled Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), abbreviated as VB-G RAM G.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi questioned the motive behind dropping Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the iconic rural employment scheme. “Why are they removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name? He is considered the tallest leader not just in India but in the world. I really don’t understand—what is the objective? What is their intention?” she asked.
She highlighted the practical costs of renaming, stating, “Whenever a scheme’s name is changed, so many changes have to be made—in offices, stationery, paperwork—for which money is spent. So, what is the benefit? Why is it being done?” Priyanka added that the move wastes time and resources, disrupting parliamentary focus on real issues.
The Bill, listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Winter Session, seeks to repeal the 2005 MGNREGA—a rights-based flagship programme of the UPA era that guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households—and establish a new framework aligned with the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
Key proposed changes include increasing guaranteed workdays to 125, shifting to a normative funding model (potentially reducing the Centre’s full wage coverage), and empowering states with more implementation roles. Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defended the overhaul, noting MGNREGA’s 20-year contribution but emphasising the need for modernisation.
The move has sparked widespread Opposition outrage. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called it part of a “BJP-RSS conspiracy” to dismantle a rights-based law benefiting crores of rural poor. Other leaders accused the government of insulting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
As the Bill heads for debate, the controversy underscores ideological divides over welfare legacies, with the Opposition vowing strong resistance in Parliament.
