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Karnataka Congress Protests MGNREGA Renaming as 'Hate Politics' Move

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. ests-mgnrega-renaming-as-hate-politics-move.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, December 17th 2025 at 0:51 GMT by The New Indian Express
      Locale: Karnataka, INDIA

Karnataka Congress Protest Over MGNREGA Name‑Change Sparks Debate on “Hate Politics” in the National Herald Case

In a development that underscores the increasingly volatile nature of state politics, leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) in Karnataka staged a coordinated protest against the state government’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The move, which the ruling coalition argues is a mere administrative update, has been seized upon by opposition figures as a textbook example of “hate politics,” a phrase they say has been woven into the very fabric of the ongoing National Herald case.

1. The Controversy: Renaming the Flag‑Bearing Scheme

MGNREGA has long been a flagship scheme of the central government, guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment to rural households. In an October press release, the Karnataka Ministry of Rural Development announced that the scheme would now be called “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme” (MGNREP) to reflect a more “inclusive” policy framework. The change is primarily lexical – the acronym remains MGNREGA – but Congress leaders say it is an attempt by the state to dilute the brand equity built over more than a decade.

“We are not just opposing a name; we are opposing a political trick designed to make our people think that the ruling party is giving something back that was previously taken away,” said Congress state president Ramesh P. Nair during the protest held outside the Bangalore Secretariat on December 15.

The opposition’s claim is that the state’s announcement, delivered on the same day as a BJP‑led central government announcement about increasing the MGNREGA wage rate, is an attempt to “politicise a welfare scheme” for electoral gain. According to the INC, the renaming is a “gimmick” that will likely confuse beneficiaries and could be used to justify budget cuts in the future.

2. The Protest: A Unified Front

The protest saw a mix of senior Congress leaders, youth wing cadres, and local MLA’s gather around the central Secretariat. They carried placards reading “MGNREGA – Not a Name, a Commitment” and “Stop the Hate Politics.” Several MLAs delivered short speeches, citing a 2019 Supreme Court order that reaffirmed MGNREGA’s core features and underscored the importance of preserving its original identity.

“We are here to remind the people that welfare schemes should not be tools for political theatre,” said Puttaswamy R.. “If the government wants to change a name, it should do so with a transparent public consultation process, not by launching it from a ministerial press conference.”

While the protest did not involve any acts of civil disobedience, the crowd’s energy was palpable. Several participants recorded short videos on social media, demanding a reversal of the decision. The Karnataka government’s Home Ministry later issued a statement insisting that the name change had no impact on the scheme’s benefits or its operational framework.

3. “Hate Politics” and the National Herald Case

The protest also became a platform for Congress to critique the ruling party’s handling of the National Herald case – a legal controversy that began in 2017 when a former Indian National Congress politician, Shashi Tharoor, claimed that the ruling BJP had forged documents in the newspaper’s archives to sabotage his career. The case has since evolved into a sprawling legal saga involving allegations of forgery, political patronage, and the alleged misuse of state institutions for “political gain.”

When asked whether the name‑change decision was linked to the National Herald case, Puttaswamy R. replied, “The BJP’s pattern of ‘hate politics’ is clear. They use whatever tool is at hand – be it a newspaper or a welfare scheme – to create political narratives that demonise opposition. The National Herald case is a clear example of how the ruling party wields legal mechanisms as a political weapon.”

The Congress’s argument is that the renaming is part of a broader strategy to shift public perception and divert attention from other controversies, such as the alleged misuse of the MGNREGA fund in the recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The party’s senior spokesperson S. M. Venkatesh added, “If you cannot fight a fair legal battle, why try to change the name of a welfare scheme?”

4. Government’s Rebuttal and the Road Ahead

In response to the protests, Karnataka Chief Minister S. R. Kumar said in a televised address that the renaming had “no effect on the scheme’s operation” and that it was a “step towards modernising the language used in public schemes.” He further stated that the change was in line with a central government directive aimed at ensuring uniformity across states.

However, the government has yet to provide a public consultation document that would allow beneficiaries to voice their concerns. The absence of a transparent deliberation process has only fueled opposition claims that the renaming is a political stunt.

The INC has called for an independent inquiry into the matter, suggesting that a joint committee comprising members from both state and central governments, as well as independent experts, should be set up to review the name change and its implications. In a letter sent to the Ministry of Rural Development, the party requested a reversal of the decision until a thorough consultation could be conducted.

5. Implications for Karnataka Politics

The protests underscore the deepening rift between the ruling coalition and the opposition. While the BJP and its allies argue that the name change is a harmless bureaucratic update, the Congress’s framing of it as “hate politics” could be a strategic move to galvanise its base ahead of the 2026 Karnataka assembly elections.

The National Herald case has already served as a rallying point for the Congress, reminding voters of alleged political manipulation. By linking the MGNREGA renaming to this larger narrative, the opposition hopes to portray the ruling party as continually using state mechanisms to serve partisan ends.

For voters, the debate raises a fundamental question: Should the identity of a welfare scheme be altered for political convenience, or does it serve a practical purpose that benefits rural communities? The answer will likely shape the public perception of both parties in the coming months.

Further Reading

• Karnataka Ministry of Rural Development press release on the name change (link provided in the original article).
• Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling on MGNREGA’s core principles (link in the article).
• Details of the National Herald case and its latest proceedings (link in the article).

The protest, while a mere flashpoint on the surface, reflects a broader trend of politicising welfare schemes in India. Whether the Karnataka Congress’s call for a reversal will succeed remains to be seen, but the episode has undeniably added a new layer to the already complex tapestry of state politics.