Karnataka’s political landscape heated up as Deputy CM DK Shivakumar dropped a major announcement: all 6,000 gram panchayat offices will bear Mahatma Gandhi’s name. Made at a fiery protest in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, the pledge aims to immortalize the Mahatma’s ideals amid battles over rural job schemes.
‘Congress has decided this to safeguard Gandhi’s name forever,’ Shivakumar stated, responding to letters from party officials like VS Ugrappa. He painted Gandhi’s dream of empowered villages with schools, cooperatives, and panchayats, positioning the rename as a step toward that vision.
The rally focused on saving MGNREGA, the UPA-era flagship that transformed rural India by guaranteeing jobs, building homes, animal sheds, and more. Shivakumar praised its design under Sonia Gandhi’s guidance and CP Joshi’s execution, noting annual spends of Rs 6,000 crore in Karnataka’s 5,700 panchayats and creation of 7,000 supervisory jobs.
Criticizing NDA’s overhaul—renaming the act and altering fund shares—Shivakumar pointed to resistance even from allies like Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu, who warned of dire consequences. He mocked BJP leaders protesting before Gandhi statues, deeming them unworthy, and boasted of Kanakapura’s top rankings and Rs 200 crore yearly works, turning central suspicions into accolades.
With unemployment soaring under BJP, Shivakumar vowed unyielding struggle: ‘MGNREGA fueled village growth; we won’t let it die.’ Plans include district-wide marches by party leaders, echoing the farmers’ protests that felled three laws. Targeting Centre’s fund cuts hurting panchayats and laborers, he invited debates, urging accountability after two decades of the scheme.
This isn’t just symbolism—it’s a clarion call. Karnataka Congress gears up for special assembly sessions with two-day debates, refusing to yield Gandhi’s legacy or workers’ rights to political whims.
