IndiaPosted at: Oct 13 2026 12:30PM


Congress accuses BJP of using Ram’s name to target poor, undermine employment rights

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of exploiting religious faith for political gains while undermining the livelihood rights of the poor, drawing a parallel between alleged irregularities in donations collected in the name of Lord Ram and claims of fake attendance under the VB-G RAM G scheme.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh alleged that the BJP’s politics had repeatedly compromised public trust, beginning with what he described as the misuse of donations collected in the name of Lord Ram, followed by an alleged assault on the statutory guarantee of 100 days of employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and now the alleged manipulation of attendance records under the VB-G RAM G scheme.
“First, donation fraud in the name of Lord Shri Ram; then an assault on the right to 100 days of employment under MGNREGA; and now, through fake attendance under VB-G RAM G, a game of government loot targeting the poor,” Ramesh said.
Summing up the Congress’s charge, he declared: “The name is Ram, the target is the poor, and the right to employment is being looted.”
Ramesh alleged that the issues went beyond financial irregularities, arguing that they reflected a betrayal of public trust associated with religious faith and an erosion of the rights of economically vulnerable people. He accused the BJP of invoking Lord Ram for political advantage while failing to protect the interests of the poor.
“Using the name of Lord Ram for power politics and striking at the rights of the poor — this is the BJP’s real strategy, character and face,” he said.
The Congress leader’s remarks bring two politically sensitive issues into focus: the use of religious symbolism in politics and the implementation of rural employment guarantees. MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, provides a statutory framework guaranteeing up to 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to eligible rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The scheme has remained a major point of political contention, with the Congress defending it as a rights-based welfare programme and the BJP seeking to advance its own approach to rural employment and welfare delivery.
Ramesh’s allegations of fake attendance under VB-G RAM G also raise questions about the reliability of employment records and the safeguarding of workers’ entitlements, although his post did not provide specific details of the alleged irregularities.
The latest attack is part of the Congress’s wider political effort to link allegations of corruption and shortcomings in welfare delivery with the rights and livelihoods of ordinary citizens. The party has repeatedly argued that appeals to religious faith cannot replace accountability in the handling of public resources or justify any dilution of protections intended for economically disadvantaged sections.
The BJP’s political use of Lord Ram and the implementation of employment-related welfare measures are likely to remain contentious issues as the Congress seeks to challenge the ruling party’s claims of pro-poor governance and accuse it of placing political messaging above the protection of people’s rights. UNI SKA AAB
Tags: #Congress accuses BJP of using Ram’s name to target poor# undermine employment rights
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