Mahabubnagar: Opposing the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the National Employment Guarantee Scheme, a protest was held on Sunday at the Gandhi statue near Ashok Talkies junction, following the call given by the AICC. The protest was led under the leadership of DCC President Sanjeev Mudiraj.

Speaking on the occasion, DCC President Sanjeev Mudiraj said that the Congress Party strongly opposes the changes being made to the National Employment Guarantee Scheme. He stated that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme is inappropriate and demanded that the Central Government immediately withdraw these changes.

MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy said that the UPA government introduced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme with the noble objective of enabling the poor in the country to live with dignity. He added that especially during times of drought, pandemics and economic crises, this scheme has served as a protective shield for the poor. He alleged that by reducing the number of workdays and delaying wage payments, there is a conspiracy to gradually weaken the scheme.

MLA G. Madhusudan Reddy said that they strongly oppose the removal of Gandhi’s name from the Employment Guarantee Scheme. He accused the Central Government of conspiring to repeal the Employment Guarantee Act. He criticized the move to scrap the Act and convert it into a mere scheme, stating that it amounts to denying people their right to work. He demanded that the Employment Guarantee Scheme be continued in its original form.