Removal of Gandhi’s name from employment guarantee scheme an unpardonable crime, says KTR

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in Telangana for renaming welfare schemes while weakening their impact, alleging political opportunism and neglect of rural livelihoods, farmers and cultural programmes

Hyderabad: Lashing out at the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in Telangana, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday said both parties were engaging in petty politics by renaming popular welfare schemes while rendering them ineffective.

Addressing newly elected BRS-backed sarpanches at Bhongir, he described the BJP and Congress as “two sides of the same coin” in their approach to renaming and weakening public welfare programmes. Taking exception to the Centre’s recent move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a new bill, effectively removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the flagship rural employment scheme, he said the programme, as reports indicate, is being revamped under names such as “Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission” or “Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Yojana”, with changes including an increase in guaranteed workdays to 125.

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Calling the removal of Gandhi’s name an “unpardonable crime”, Rama Rao argued that the BJP had no moral right to claim the status of a national party due to its “narrow-mindedness”. He further alleged that the Centre was harming rural livelihoods by diluting the scheme.

Turning to the Congress government in Telangana, he said it was indulging in “cheap politics” by focusing more on name changes than public welfare. He cited the renaming of affordable meal canteens from “Annapurna Canteens”, introduced under the previous BRS regime, to “Indiramma Canteens”, which continue to provide meals at Rs.5.

He also condemned the discontinuation and subsequent rebranding of the Bathukamma saree distribution programme, a cultural initiative symbolising Telangana’s traditions, as “Indiramma sarees”, stating that it disrespected weavers and imposed political colouring on a State symbol. He criticised the replacement of the iconic Telangana Thalli statue with what he termed “Congress Thalli”, calling it inhumane.

On farmer support, the BRS leader said the Congress had renamed the revolutionary “Rythu Bandhu” scheme introduced by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao as “Rythu Bharosa” while making it inaccessible to many farmers. He alleged that nutrition kits and KCR kits for mothers and children were discontinued, jeopardising health, while award-winning programmes such as Palle Pragathi and Haritha Haram were being starved of funds despite being renamed.

In contrast, Rama Rao praised Chandrashekhar Rao for continuing Congress-era schemes such as Arogyasri and fee reimbursement without altering their names, showcasing a broader vision. He warned that both “Delhi parties”, the BJP and Congress, were prioritising misleading people through name changes over genuine development, leaving 150 crore Indians to suffer. He predicted that people would soon reject both parties.