Thiruvananthapuram | The new law, G RAM G, being brought in by the Narendra Modi government to replace the MGNREGA, is "not a reference to Lord Ram but to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi," alleged Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Friday.
Addressing a press conference here, Khera said several crore Indians were on the verge of losing their only livelihood support with the implementation of the G RAM G scheme.
"They passed the scheme without consulting anyone and removed the constitutional mandate of employment guarantee from it. The working class in every Indian state is going to be adversely affected, and Kerala is likely to be the worst hit," Khera said.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often claims to be a game-changer, has now become a mere name-changer.
"They are changing all names that have any connection with Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi or anything related to Gandhi. They are Nathuram Godse worshippers and want Gandhi's name erased from everything," Khera alleged.
His remarks came a day after the Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Khera said the Congress Working Committee would meet on December 27 to decide on nationwide protests against the new scheme, mobilising people across the country.
"Whenever the Congress party has taken to the streets, it has changed the destiny of the country. We will not allow them to take away the rights of the people," he said.
Referring to the National Herald case, Khera termed it an assault on India's heritage, saying the publication was a symbol of the country's freedom struggle.
"When the CBI, ED and courts had discarded the National Herald case, Mr Modi allegedly pressured the ED to pursue it again. This is not a case against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge, but an attempt to malign a national heritage," he alleged.
However, he cautioned the Kerala government against using the union government's alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate as a cover for its own shortcomings.
Khera also said he had grown to admire Kerala even more after listening to the song ‘Pottiye Kayattiye, Swarnam Chembayi Mattiye', a parody created by the Congress-led UDF camp referring to the alleged Sabarimala gold theft case, which has become a subject of intense political debate in the state.
