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Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao pointed out that Congress governments had previously launched the same scheme under different names: Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, later renamed Jawahar Rozgar Samriddhi Yojana in 1999, then Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana in 2001, and finally rechristened as NREGA in 2005. “At none of these stages did the Congress feel the need to invoke Mahatma Gandhi’s name,” he said.
It was only on the eve of the 2009 general elections that the Congress suddenly ‘remembered’ Bapu and renamed the scheme as MGNREGA. He further stated that the revamped scheme expands employment guarantees from 100 to 125 days, strong worker protection measures such as additional compensation for delayed wage payments and execution of 50% of works through Gram Panchayats to ensure local employment.
Later, he demanded that the government enhance pensions to the disabled to ₹6,000 a month as promised and also free bus travel on the occasion of Louis Braille birth anniversary celebrations held at the State office on Sunday. Mr. Rao reminded that he had already written to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy about these issues.
Owaisi’s irresponsible & provocative statement
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson N.V. Subash condemned what he termed a ‘highly irresponsible and provocative’ statement by Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who suggested that India should capture the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind from Pakistan as the U.S. did with the Venezuelan president.
Mr. Subash said Owaisi’s comments stemmed either from a lack of understanding of India’s foreign policy traditions or from inherited political malice. “India has never been an expansionist nation. Our strength lies in restraint, responsibility and adherence to international law,” he asserted.
“If Mr. Owaisi genuinely believes in what he says, let him submit a formal proposal in writing as an MP and allow the elected government to take a considered decision,” he added.
Published – January 04, 2026 06:38 pm IST
