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Congress Leader Udit Raj, on Wednesday, while leading a protest by All India Unorganised Workers Congress against the Centre's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA ) to Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, burnt a copy of the bill. "MGNREGA, which was the country's largest and most historic scheme to eradicate rural unemployment, is being conspired against to be terminated. By removing Mahatma Gandhi's name, not only is an attack being made on his legacy, but the legal right to employment of rural laborers is also being eliminated," Udit Raj said.

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Karnataka Leaders Slam Centre

Earlier, Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao criticised the Central government over the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying that the move reflects the BJP and RSS's ideological opposition to Mahatma Gandhi. While speaking at a protest in Belagavi against the move, Rao said, "It is a well-known fact that the RSS and BJP dislike Mahatma Gandhi, which is reflected in their deeds. It was a successful employment generation programme, recognised worldwide..."

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress leaders staged protests near the Gandhi statue at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi against the Central government over the National Herald case, and the decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as VB-G Ram. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also joined the Congress protest.

During the protest, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the National Herald was closely linked to India's freedom movement. "The National Herald is the pride of the country, established by Jawaharlal Nehru during the freedom movement," he said, questioning the actions of central agencies in the case. Shivakumar alleged that he has still not been provided with a copy of the FIR and said that the image of the Enforcement Directorate has been "tarnished" due to such actions." I have only one question: why have they not yet provided me with a copy of the FIR? The image of the Enforcement Directorate has been tarnished today," Shivakumar said to reporters.

The protest also focused on the Centre's move to rename MGNREGA, with Congress leaders accusing the BJP-led government of undermining Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and diluting a landmark welfare scheme. Karnataka Minister M B Patil said Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation and described MGNREGA as a successful programme that generated local employment across rural India. " Mahatma Gandhi is the Father of the Nation. It was a successful programme that provided local employment, initiated under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. The BJP could not digest this and changed its name," Patil said.

Nationwide Demonstrations Announced

Earlier today, opposing the Bill, the Congress announced a series of nationwide protests on December 17, accusing the BJP and RSS of attempting to "dismantle rights-based welfare" and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre. The party has directed its state units (Pradesh Congress Committees) to organise protests at all district headquarters. The demonstrations featured portraits of Mahatma Gandhi to symbolise resistance against the "erasure of his name and values". They highlighted the potential impact of the new law on millions of beneficiaries.

Details of the New Bill

The Bill introduced by the Agriculture Minister in the Lok Sabha guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.

As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10. Section 6 of the Bill allows the State governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting, when no work will be commenced or executed under the Bill. (ANI)