VIJAYAWADA/ANANTAPUR: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to visit Bandlapalli village in Singanamala constituency of Anantapur district on February 2.
The leaders will take part in a massive public meeting and demonstration against the NDA government’s amendments to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Bandlapalli holds symbolic importance as the place where the scheme was first launched. The APCC, under the directions of its state president Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, has announced statewide protests beginning January 5.
District and block-level leaders have been instructed to mobilise workers, organise dharnas at Collectorates, hold gram sabhas, and distribute pamphlets explaining the benefits of MGNREGA and the dangers of the proposed changes.
Former Union Minister Chinta Mohan strongly criticised the BJP, stating that any attempt to stop MGNREGA was akin to “silencing Mahatma Gandhi’s vision itself”.
Addressing the media in Anantapur, he demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision and continue the scheme. He announced that the February protest would begin at Bandlapalli, with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge likely to attend.
Mohan highlighted the severe unemployment crisis in Rayalaseema, calling the rollback of MGNREGA an act of “national betrayal”. He also demanded transparency on the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ gold reserves and urged that jobs in TTD be given to local youth. Further, he pressed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to ensure Microsoft investments in Rayalaseema, alleging attempts to divert them to Gujarat.