Hyderabad: BRS senior leader Harish Rao on Friday strongly criticised the Central Government for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the national employment guarantee scheme. He stated that the decision to rename the programme ‘Viksit Bharat G Ram G’ (VB-G RAM G) is highly objectionable.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Harish Rao asserted that this was not merely a name change but a direct attack on the rights of the states. He highlighted that the new 60:40 funding rule places a significant financial burden on state governments. He accused the BJP-led government of deliberately attempting to weaken the employment scheme and consolidate total control by stripping power from the states. This move, he argued, goes against the country’s federal spirit.

Harish Rao also questioned the silence of the Congress party on the matter. He claimed that while Congress leaders speak publicly about protecting states’ rights, they quietly support the BJP’s agenda in Parliament. He suggested that both the BJP and Congress are aligned when it involves centralising power.

The BRS leader further dismissed the government’s labelling of these changes as “reforms,” describing the term as a “joke” that masks a policy that will hurt the poor and lead states into financial distress. He demanded that the government restore Mahatma Gandhi’s name to the scheme and urged the Centre to respect the constitutional powers granted to the states.