Smriti Irani files papers from Amethi, takes on Rahul Gandhi
Amethi: Union minister Smriti Irani Thursday filed her nomination papers from Amethi, pitting herself against Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has won thrice from the Lok Sabha constituency regarded as Gandhi family pocket borough.
Irani filed her papers after a road show, which followed a similar route taken by the one organised by the Congress when Rahul Gandhi filed his own nomination papers here on Wednesday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanied her in the show of strength in a constituency nursed by the Union textiles minister even after being defeated by Rahul Gandhi in 2014, the first time the BJP nominated her as its candidate from Amethi.
Irani, who has been lashing out at Gandhi for missing from Amethi and over the lack of development in the constituency, continued her attack Thursday.
She questioned his silence over the Income Tax raids against close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
"What type of politics is the Congress practising when its leaders commit the sin of looting money meant for the welfare of pregnant women and poor children?" she said.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
