Chennai, 05 February (H.S.) : Members of the Congress party in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu organized a large-scale protest on Thursday to condemn the central government's decision to remove Mahatma Gandhi's name from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The demonstrators, led by Ariyalur District Congress Committee President Mariyammal, laid siege to the District Collectorate while carrying tools commonly used by workers under the 100-day employment scheme.

The protesters argued that the original name honored the Father of the Nation and that the renaming of the flagship rural employment program under the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Act is unacceptable and disrespectful to the historical legacy of the scheme.

Addressing the gathering, Congress State Vice-President Rajendran and other senior leaders emphasized that the rural employment initiative was introduced during the Congress regime specifically to support the rural poor. They demanded that the Union government immediately restore Mahatma Gandhi's name to the program.

Following the demonstration at the Collectorate, the party cadres held a protest near the Anna statue in Ariyalur, where a significant number of party workers and women members voiced their opposition.

This protest in Tamil Nadu is part of a wider national movement, as similar demonstrations have been reported in other state capitals, including a major protest in New Delhi led by senior leaders.

The party has vowed to continue its struggle until the original nomenclature of the MGNREGA is reinstated by the authorities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary