Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma
Credit: PTI photo
Amethi (UP): Congress MP from Amethi Kishori Lal Sharma on Sunday targeted the BJP, saying the communal forces that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi are now trying to "erase his name from the country and shatter his dreams".
Speaking at a press conference held at the district Congress office in Amethi's Gauriganj, Sharma said Gandhi's dream was being realised through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The meeting was organised to protest against the repeal of the rural jobs scheme, which has been replaced with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Grameen) (VB-G RAM G) Act.
The MP said Gandhi wanted development schemes to be formulated in villages, its blueprint prepared there, the rural landscape to be prosperous and everyone to have employment. The MGNREGA helped realise this dream, he said.
"Keeping this in mind, the Congress government had launched the MGNREGA, in which 90 per cent of the budget was borne by the central government and 10 per cent by the state government," Sharma said.
He added that the entire country considers Mahatma Gandhi as the 'Father of the Nation', but the BJP wants to "erase his name".
"The communal forces that assassinated Gandhi ji are now trying to erase his name from the country," he said.
The Congress MP also alleged that the BJP, through a conspiracy, has changed the name of the scheme without considering labourers' interests.
"While the scheme promises 125 days of employment, how will state governments, which couldn't even pay 10 per cent, manage to pay 40 per cent? But the central government has fixed its share at 60 per cent and the states' share at 40 per cent," he said.
Presenting Amethi's figures, Sharma said 1,073 families have received employment under the MGNREGA scheme in the current financial year.
"Moreover, the government has not yet released payments amounting to Rs 21,70,582 for the work done under MGNREGA, and the financial year is about to end. This has stalled development in the villages," he said, adding that this is a "conspiracy to weaken gram panchayats and disrupt the development process".
Expressing his party's strong condemnation, he said, "The Congress will launch a nationwide movement from January 12 to 29, named 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram'," he said.
In Uttar Pradesh, this movement will be led by Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, according to Sharma.
He further alleged that the BJP is attempting to snatch away the rights of the village heads and weaken them.
He also claimed that in the coming days, "they (BJP) will bring all these schemes under the central government and eliminate the rights of the village heads".
"The government in Parliament does not want to listen to the opposition's voice and is acting arbitrarily. This is why the Congress is launching a nationwide movement. Congress workers, with public support, will hold protests and demonstrations from villages to the state assemblies and Parliament," he said.
The Congress movement will continue until the rules and name of the scheme are changed, he added.