Echoing Mahatma Gandhi’s village-centric philosophy, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar committed to naming all 6,000 gram panchayat offices after the icon. Announced Tuesday at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park during an MGNREGA defense rally, the move by Congress aims to etch Gandhi’s legacy into rural India’s administrative heart.
Shivakumar, addressing the ‘Save MGNREGA’ protest, credited party representations and declared it a bulwark against forgetting Gandhi’s vision of educated, cooperative villages. This comes as Karnataka battles central changes to the employment scheme.
Recalling UPA’s transformative MGNREGA—crafted per Sonia Gandhi’s vision by CP Joshi—Shivakumar highlighted its role in employing the rural poor, funding Rs 6,000 crore annually statewide, and creating supervisory roles. Once 90% centrally funded, it’s now strained at 60-40 split, unworkable per even TDP’s Naidu.
Slamming BJP for unemployment plague and statue-side protests despite ‘unworthiness,’ Shivakumar touted Kanakapura’s Rs 200 crore yearly gains, probe-turned-praise story. He demanded debates with Kumaraswamy, decrying selective reforms after 20 years and 11 in power.
With funds stalled, hurting farmers and panchayats, Congress plans taluk padayatras led by ministers and legislators. ‘We prioritize Gandhi over flashy visions; our fight persists till restoration, come arrests or jail,’ Shivakumar roared, likening to farm law rollback.
Special legislative sessions loom with intense debates. This dual prong—renaming and rallies—fortifies Congress’s rural base, championing jobs, development, and Gandhian ethos against perceived dilutions.