Bengaluru, 26 Jan

The Congress will hold a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' programme on Tuesday to protest against replacing the MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.

To save the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Congress leaders and workers will take out foot march of five kilometres in all the taluks of the state, he said. Protests will also be organised at the panchayat level.

Shivakumar said the scheme, introduced 20 years ago by the Manmohan Singh government, guaranteed the right to employment for people in rural areas but that has now been curtailed.

"We are prepared to pass a resolution against the new scheme even in the Legislative Assembly. Under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the agitation will continue until MGNREGA is restored," the Deputy CM said.

Shivakumar was apprehensive about the success of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G and questioned who would fund the scheme.

He also denied having any information about the State Governor writing to the President regarding developments in the Karnataka Assembly during his customary speech to the legislature.

On 22 January during the joint session of the Karnataka Legislature, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read three lines from his address, which had references condemning the Centre for repealing the MGNREGA.

The Congress legislators protested and tried to gherao Gehlot.