Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 15: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday criticised the Centre’s proposal to rename and replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling the move “unfortunate” and unnecessary, and asserting that Mahatma Gandhi’s name is inseparable from the scheme’s philosophy and purpose.
Reacting to the Narendra Modi-led government’s plan to introduce the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025, Tharoor said removing Gandhi’s name ignored the historical and moral foundations of the programme.
“It’s unfortunate because Mahatma Gandhi had a very clear vision of the rural poor. He spoke of wiping the tear from the poorest person’s eye,” Tharoor said, stressing that the scheme reflected Gandhian ideals of dignity of labour and rural empowerment.
In a post on X, the Thiruvananthapuram MP argued that the ideas being invoked by the government were not in conflict with Gandhian thought. “The concept of Gram Swaraj and the ideal of Ram Rajya were never competing forces; they were the twin pillars of Gandhiji’s consciousness,” he wrote, cautioning against creating “a division where none existed”.
Tharoor clarified that his criticism was directed at the decision to change the name of the scheme itself, and not merely at the political controversy surrounding it, following some ambiguity over his earlier remarks on social media.
His comments come amid a sharp Opposition attack on the Centre over the proposed Bill, which seeks to repeal MGNREGA and replace it with a new rural employment framework aligned with the government’s Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. While the new scheme promises a statutory guarantee of 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household annually, it also proposes major changes in funding patterns and governance, including higher state contributions and the creation of new oversight councils.
Tharoor’s intervention has also drawn attention in political circles as it comes against the backdrop of questions over his equations with the Congress leadership. In recent weeks, the Kerala MP has missed several key party meetings, including a Congress Lok Sabha MPs’ meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi, citing prior commitments.
His absence from internal party meetings, alongside appearances at high-profile events where senior Opposition leaders were not present, has fuelled speculation, even as he continues to articulate strong positions on key policy and ideological issues.