Congress can’t tolerate Lord Ram’s name: Naqvi

Story by Ashhar Alam | Posted by Ashhar Alam | Date 16-12-2025

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

New Delhi

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticised the Congress for opposing the proposed renaming of MGNREGA to VB-G Ram G, alleging that the party’s objections stem from its discomfort with the inclusion of Lord Ram’s name in the scheme.

Speaking to ANI, Naqvi said the Congress has taken issue with the new title not because of concerns related to employment or welfare, but because it references Lord Ram. According to him, the opposition party is unwilling to accept any government initiative that carries the name of Lord Ram, even if it is aimed at benefiting underprivileged sections of society.

Naqvi argued that if a welfare programme designed to promote development among marginalised communities includes “RAM-G” in its name, the Congress’s problem lies not with the scheme itself but with the religious reference. He claimed that this reaction once again exposes what he described as the party’s intolerance towards the mention of Lord Ram.

The BJP leader further alleged that the Congress prefers government schemes to carry the names of leaders from a particular political family. He claimed that in the opposition’s view, welfare initiatives should only be named after figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, or other members of the Gandhi family, and that any reference beyond these names triggers opposition.

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Naqvi said that even a brief mention of Lord Ram or a focus on welfare for the poor appears unacceptable to the Congress, which he claimed is the reason behind the ongoing controversy over the bill.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari reiterated his party’s stand, stating that the government should introduce a new scheme instead of removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the existing one. He criticised the move to rename MGNREGA, arguing that the legacy associated with Gandhi’s name should not be altered. Tiwari also made a sharp remark suggesting that the ruling party would rename the scheme after Nathuram Godse if given the opportunity.