Shimla, Dec. 23 -- The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday staged a protest against the central government, alleging that the move to change the name of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and alter its framework would weaken the scheme's original objectives.

The protest was held on the call of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) after the Viksit Bharat-G-RAM-G related bill was passed in Parliament. The protest was led by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Vinay Kumar and marked his first major public programme after assuming charge of the state unit.

Speaking after the protest, Vinay Kumar said, "Congress brought MGNREGA as a law 20 years ago to ensure employment and soci...