BENGALURU: The BJP-JDS alliance on Saturday chalked out a plan to counter the Congress’ ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ by creating awareness at the gram panchayat level across Karnataka. The alliance said that the VB-G RAM G Act introduced by the Union Government is not “anti-people.”
Addressing a press conference along with Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries and JDS leader
HD Kumaraswamy, state BJP president BY Vijayendra declared that the BJP-JDS alliance will expose the Congress’ false propaganda that claims that the VB-G RAM-G Act curtails the powers of the GPs.
Vijayendra said that the NDA welcomes the State Government’s decision to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the VB-G RAM G Act. He said there can be a discussion on the floor of the House on what the Congress did to the country through MGNREGA during the UPA rule and what the NDA has achieved since 2014.
He also chided that the Siddaramaiah government, which chose not to implement the National Education Policy, has not implemented the State Education Policy (SEP) either. “The people of the country are aware of the fact that Congress never respected Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar. When lakhs of crores of rupees have been spent on MGNREGA, was it wrong on the part of the PM to check corruption by bringing in the new legislation? The NDA has spent Rs 7.8 lakh crore on MGNREGA,” he elaborated.
Kumaraswamy said that the BJP and JDS are ready to accept the open challenge posed by Deputy CM DK Shivakumar for a debate on the issue.
Kumaraswamy said that the Union Government has modified the employment guarantee scheme to check the illegalities and corruption prevalent in the implementation of MGNREGA. He claimed that he had adequate information on the misuse of the scheme, as there was duplication of works.
The UPA regime between 2006 and 2013 had spent Rs 2.13 lakh crore, but the NDA has spent Rs 8.83 lakh crore between 2014 and 2025, he pointed out.
“The Congress is creating false propaganda about the VB-G RAM-G Act, and we are ready for an open debate with documents to counter that lie. Gone were the days when people believed the lies of the Congress,” Kumaraswamy said.
He questioned the essence of the Congress government for planning to hold a special session and termed it a publicity stunt. Kumaraswamy claimed that when he was the CM, the Centre had not released the Rs 800 crore wages against MGNREGA in time, and he took a decision to release it. Then, Krishna Byre Gowda was the RDPR minister, he said.
He took the Siddaramaiah government to task for confronting the Centre for its every policy, which he felt was detrimental to the state’s development.
“We have used the name of Ram to establish Ram Rajya. The State Government should also take responsibility. 40% grant should be given to this project. Siddaramaiah should take responsibility for this in the state,” he insisted.