Congress stages fast in protest against scrapping of MGNREGA

The city district unit of the Congress on Sunday staged a mass hunger strike protesting against the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) alleging that the move undermined both Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and the spirit of the flagship rural employment scheme.

The protest was led by L. Rex, city district Congress committee president and Trichy Corporation councillor. Christopher Tilak, All India Congress Committee secretary, and Vichu Lenin Prasad, national general secretary of the Youth Congress, were present. Kala, north district Congress president, and Govindaraj, south district president, addressed the gathering.

Speakers accused the Centre of attempting to dilute the historical and ideological significance of MGNREGA by altering its name and demanded that the scheme retain Mahatma Gandhi’s name as a symbol of social justice and inclusive development. They called for adequate funding and timely wage payments.

Several party functionaries and cadres participated. The protest concluded with a warning of intensified agitations if the demand was ignored.