'Save MGNREGA': Congress workers hold symbolic fast in Varanasi

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 11 (ANI): Congress workers on Sunday staged a protest under the banner 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' at Townhall Park of Maidagin in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.
Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai, along with party workers, held a symbolic fast against the repeal of MGNREGA and the introduction of the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) near the Mahatma Gandhi and Bhimrao Ambedkar statue.
Speaking to ANI, the UP Congress chief said, "We are on a fast. Around the Mahatma Gandhi and Bhimrao Ambedkar statue, we are sitting on a fast. This government ended the MGNREGA law, and to protest that each of our Congress workers is sitting on the streets. We want to remove those who want to remove Mahatma Gandhi's name."
Emphasising that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to take away the "rights of the people", Rai said the Congress party will not allow that to happen, which is why the protests are occurring. He also alleged that the police had been deployed to create disruptions in the fast, even as far as stopping the opposition leaders at their homes.
"They want to even suppress our fast. But, still, each of our Congress workers will fight for the rights of the poor people, and we will bring back their rights to them," he said.

Claiming that the name of the new scheme, "G RAM G", is a way for the ruling BJP to spread "false" propaganda, he emphasised that it was Mahatma Gandhi who felt more connected to "Lord Ram", even describing the leader's death incident as an example.
He said, "The name (of the new scheme) is G RAM G, the people of the BJP are spreading false propaganda, but the name Mahatma Gandhi was kept after a lot of contemplation by our party. What were the last words of Mahatma Gandhi, when he was murdered by the Sangh people by Nathuram Godse? His last words were 'hey ram, hey ram, hey ram', he remembered Lord Ram only."
He also described the party's future plans for rallies across the state, noting that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and other national leaders will attend the main rally in Lucknow.
"We will not let the name of Mahatma Gandhi be forgotten. There will be a historic rally in which Beneras will conduct it's rally on January 8, then there is Mathura, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Sitapur on January 24, it will end in Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan in the form of a historic rally, which is going to be held in Lucknow in which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and all the national leadership will be there. We will have a rally in Benaras from January 8. Obviously, there will be a presence of national leadership, and there will be a big rally", he said.
On January 3, Congress announced a nationwide three-phase agitation titled "MGNREGA Bachao", after the Centre's newly enacted VB-G RAM G Act.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the VB--G RAM G Bill, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the transformation of rural employment policy, as per a release by the President's Secretariat. (ANI)