Raipur, March 17 The Congress staged a large protest in Raipur on Tuesday over the replacement of MNREGA with the VB-G RAM G scheme, the 'shortage' of LPG cylinders, and foreign policy, but the police thwarted their attempt to surround the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly.
The assembly's budget session is currently in session.
Authorities had barricaded several roads and stopped hundreds of Congress workers at Bharat Mata Chowk in Telibandha area, about 25 km from the assembly in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar.
Speaking before the gathering, Congress's Chhattisgarh in-charge Sachin Pilot alleged that the Centre was trying to weaken MNREGA, a flagship employment guarantee program introduced under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
He said that the Narendra Modi government initially intended to scrap MNREGA in 2014 and was now trying to alter the law, accusing the Centre of reducing its financial share in the scheme and curtailing the decision-making powers of gram panchayats.
He further accused the BJP of ignoring the concerns of farmers, labourers, and the poor, alleging that policies were being framed under pressure and in favour of select industrialists.
Pilot also raised questions over foreign policy, claiming that India's traditional global relationships had been weakened.
Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP of attempting to snatch the rights of the poor by weakening MNREGA.
"In 2028, a Congress government will be formed in the state, and in 2029, Congress will come to power in Delhi. Rahul Gandhi will become the prime minister, and MNREGA will be reintroduced. We will provide wages one and a half times the amount currently being paid," he said.
"Today, the country's foreign policy is being ridiculed across the world. Traditional allies like Russia and Iran have been abandoned," the Congress leader added.
He also alleged that farmers were facing a shortage of fertilizers such as DAP and urea. There was a shortage of cooking gas cylinders which had become more expensive, he said.
State Congress chief Deepak Baij, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Charan Das Mahant and other leaders were present at the protest.