A strong protest has been lodged by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) against the proposed renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). Party spokesperson Kailash Yadav condemned the Modi government, stating that since 2014, it has been engaged in a continuous effort to dishonor India’s revered leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and B.R. Ambedkar. Yadav lauded MNREGA as a flagship UPA-era scheme under Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, which significantly boosted employment and earned global praise. He emphasized the significance of Mahatma Gandhi’s name attached to the 2005 legislation, which was intended to advance his vision of self-governance in India. The RJD perceives the renaming proposal and the purported ‘Ram Rojgar Yojana’ as an attempt to erode the nation’s secular identity and public-centric policies. The party views the passage of the proposal in the Lok Sabha as an anti-national step. Yadav further argued that renaming the act is an affront to both Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Ram, predicting widespread public opposition. He also leveled accusations against the BJP for promoting divisive ideologies.
