LUCKNOW: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday accuded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to starve the poor and deprived by deliberately weakening welfare schemes to benefit industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, on Tuesday.
Speaking to media persons during his Rae Bareli visit, Gandhi said PM Modi wants to centralise all power subverting the panchayat level administration and “starve the poor” by dismantling social security mechanisms meant for workers and marginalised communities by altering Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Act, 2005.
The Congress leader said that the PM and the BJP government not only showed a disrespect to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name from the rural employment scheme, but also wanted to erase his ideology and the move of altering MGNREGA would lead to the erosion of protections that it provided to the poor.
“The Modi government has destroyed the security that was given to the poor people of this country,” Gandhi said, adding that while Congress worked to protect the public, the PM was diverting the country’s wealth into the hands of a few corporates. The Congress leader said his party had launched a nationwide movement to save MGNREGA while standing firmly with labourers and workers. “Modi wants MGNREGA to end so that the money meant for workers goes directly to Ambani, Adani and other big industrialists,” Gandhi alleged. “Since they cannot do this openly, they are slowly strangling the Act.”
He reiterated that the RSS and the BJP wanted to abolish the Constitution and erase the ideologies of Dr BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. “They want to take India back to a time before Independence, where people’s land could be snatched, their rights taken away, and they were pushed towards starvation,” he said, urging people to unite against such forces.
Rahul Gandhi arrived in Raebareli late on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, he met Congress and Samajwadi Party workers and inaugurated the Raebareli Premier League T-20 cricket tournament. He interacted with players and even tossed a coin for the match.
Later, he held a village meetings (chaupal) in Tohaniya and Umran villages interacting with MGNREGA workers to hear their concerns. Earlier, the Congress MP inaugurated Raebareli Premier League T-20 cricket tournament organised by the Youth Sports Academy. During the event, Rahul Gandhi also met with the teams and players participating in the cricket tournament." The matches are being held at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadiu...
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also spoke to BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla, on Tuesday, and requested the establishment of a cricket academy in Raebareli, District Cricket Association President Dr Manish Chauhan said. This was Rahul Gandhi’s sixth visit to Raebareli since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He had earlier visited the constituency on September 10, 2025.
