Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the Union government's move to rename the MGNREGA scheme and charged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party may even go to the extent of renaming the country.
Addressing presspersons, the Aam Aadmi Party leader said the Centre is already renaming several cities and railway stations, and only actual work can bring real change. Mann said, "They renamed railway stations and cities. I fear that they will rename even the country to 'Deen Dayal Upadhay Nagar. Change will come about only if you actually work," ANI reported.
#WATCH | Chandigarh: On renaming of MGNREGA to VB–G Ram G, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann says, "They renamed railway stations and cities. I fear that they will rename even the country to Deen Dayal Upadhay Nagar. Change will come about only if you actually work. Nothing will happen if… pic.twitter.com/YHHhVSUYVa
— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2025
"Nothing will happen if you rename," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said. Pointing to a journalist, Mann said none would come to meet him just because he is renamed 'Messi'. "Will people come to Chandigarh to see you?" he asked. "Rename it to whatever you want, but give wages to the people. The wages should go to the right person and not to someone else who did no work," the Punjab chief minister said.
Opposition-governed states have questioned the government's move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025. States also questioned the funding parameters under the new Bill. Unlike MNREGA, states would have to bear 40 per cent of the cost of the rural employment scheme.
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AS per reports, the Centre's allocation for each state would be based on certain parameters. And, expenditure in excess of the approved allocation would have to be borne by state governments. The Congress has announced a nationwide protest against the scheme on Wednesday. "This combined attack on Gandhiji's legacy, rights and federal responsibility exposes a larger BJP-RSS conspiracy to dismantle rights-based welfare and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre," Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said in a letter to state Congress unit chiefs.
