MGNREGA Renaming Row: DK Shivakumar Says ‘Remove Gandhi’s Photo From Currency If You Dare’

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday strongly criticised the Centre during a Congress protest against the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The protest was held in response to the government’s decision to rename the scheme as Viksit Bharat, Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM-G), which was recently passed in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking at the protest site near a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi, Shivakumar challenged the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of attempting to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.

“If you have guts, you remove Mahatma Gandhi’s photo from the currency note. You can’t do it,” Shivakumar said, asserting that Gandhi’s legacy remains inseparable from India’s identity.

The Congress party staged the protest under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, alleging that the Centre was misusing power and pursuing politics rooted in division and hatred.

The demonstration in Belagavi was part of a larger nationwide protest by the Congress, stretching from Delhi to Karnataka, opposing both the renaming of the rural employment scheme and the continuation of the National Herald case.

Congress leader Udit Raj also participated in the protest, burning a copy of the bill under the banner of the All India Unorganised Workers Congress, terming the move an attack on workers’ rights and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the central government of pursuing the National Herald case out of political vendetta. He alleged that the Modi government was targeting the Gandhi family to settle political scores.

The Congress has maintained that renaming MGNREGA undermines the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and reflects the Centre’s broader attempt to rewrite history, a charge the BJP has repeatedly denied.