MNREGA Renaming Bill: Congress Issues Whip, Rahul Gandhi to Miss Debate
Opposition readies for showdown in Parliament as BJP targets Gandhi over Germany trip
- Congress issues three-day whip ahead of MNREGA renaming bill
- Rahul Gandhi absent as he is on a visit to Germany
- BJP mocks Gandhi’s absence, calls him “Leader of Paryatan”
- Congress accuses BJP of erasing Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Dec: As the government prepares to introduce the bill to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in Parliament, the Congress has issued a whip directing all its MPs to remain present in the House for the next three days. However, a key absence will be that of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a visit to Germany.
The BJP, meanwhile, has instructed its MPs to remain present in Parliament from December 15 to 19, underlining the importance of the ongoing Winter Session. While Gandhi’s absence is unlikely to alter the numerical outcome of any vote—the Congress has 99 MPs and the combined opposition 234 in the 543-member Lok Sabha against the NDA’s 291—it has given the ruling party fresh ammunition to target the Congress leadership.
The BJP has sharply criticised Rahul Gandhi’s overseas trip during a crucial parliamentary session. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla mocked Gandhi, saying that “LoP” now stands for “Leader of Paryatan,” and accused him of being a “non-serious politician” who remains in “permanent vacation mode.” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi echoed the attack, calling Gandhi a “part-time leader” who travels abroad when Parliament is in session and later complains of not being given time to speak.
The Congress has hit back by pointing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent foreign visits, arguing that international travel cannot be selectively politicised.
The confrontation comes at a critical moment for the opposition, as the government moves to rename MNREGA as the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill, or G Ram G Bill. The proposal has sparked sharp opposition from the Congress, which views the move as an ideological attempt to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that removing Gandhi’s name reflects the BJP’s hostility towards the Mahatma’s ideals, particularly those centred on the rights of the poor. “The government that recoils from the rights of the poor is the one that attacks MGNREGA,” he said, adding that the Congress would oppose the move both inside and outside Parliament.
Senior leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also criticised the government, questioning the objective of the renaming exercise and accusing it of wasting parliamentary time instead of addressing pressing national issues.
With tempers flaring and political lines sharply drawn, the proposed MNREGA renaming is set to become one of the most contentious issues of the Winter Session.
