Dehradun, Dec. 18 -- The state Congress unit on Wednesday staged a protest at Gandhi Park against the proposed overhaul of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that the move reflected the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attempt to rewrite history and dilute the spirit of one of the country's most significant welfare legislations. The protest was organised in response to a call by the All India Congress Committee and led by Congress Mahanagar Committee district president Jaswinder Singh Gogi. Addressing the gathering, Gogi said the country was witnessing "the politics of hatred, revenge and the rewriting of history." "MGNREGA is the world's largest rural employment scheme. It has played a crucial role in reducing rural poverty, strengthening local infrastructure and empowering women," he said. State Congress general secretary Godavari Thapli said MGNREGA was the backbone of rural employment for nearly two decades, guaranteeing 100 days of work annually to people in their own villages. "Now the Modi government is not only changing the name of MGNREGA but is also making several other changes. The BJP is trying to weaken provisions that ensured participation of SCs, STs, OBCs and women," he said Thapli also criticised the manner in which the proposed changes were introduced. "Opposition MPs demanded a discussion on the Bill, but their voices were ignored. This authoritarian approach has reached its limit. Our protest will continue until this Bill is withdrawn," said Thapli . The protest comes amid the Centre's proposal to replace MGNREGA, with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), 2025. According to the draft, the proposed legislation seeks to align rural employment with the national vision of "Viksit Bharat @2047" and provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year for rural households willing to undertake unskilled manual work. Responding to the protest, state BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said the Centre introduced reforms zin line with public sentiment to accelerate rural development. "The Union government is striving to make the scheme more effective and practical. It should not be viewed through a political lens," Chauhan said. Terming the opposition's claims of reduced central funding as misleading, Chauhan added, "In Uttarakhand and other Himalayan states, the contribution ratio between the Centre and state will continue to be 90:10. The people of Uttarakhand will benefit the most from these reforms."...