BJP ready to debate G. Ram G. act in legislature: Pratap Simha Nayak

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 14, 2026: The BJP is prepared to hold a discussion on the G. Ram G. Act either on a public platform or during a legislative session, said Legislative Council member Pratap Simha Nayak. He stated that the new Act has been introduced after addressing the shortcomings of MGNREGA and that the name of “Ram,” revered by Mahatma Gandhi, has been included in the G. Ram G. Act.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Nayak said that during the recent Belagavi legislative session, instead of discussing the state’s development, farmers, workers, and women, the focus was largely on who the Chief Minister would be. Despite submitting a written request to extend the session to discuss development-related issues, the government did not agree. Now, he said, the government is talking about convening a special session to discuss the G. Ram G. Act. However, debating a Central Act in the state legislature would be unconstitutional and would undermine the federal structure.

Referring to the discussion on the G. Ram G. Act in Parliament, Nayak said it was evident how the Congress behaved as the opposition. He alleged that when Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan patiently listened to the opposition and began replying, the Congress resorted to disruptions. During the discussion on the Bill, the Leader of the Opposition was not even present in the House. According to Nayak, the Congress had no intention of seeking answers and only aimed to mislead the public.

He further accused the Congress of opposing every Central government scheme without reason. He recalled that the Congress had opposed the Jan Dhan Yojana, while today India has emerged as number one in mobile and online transactions. He said voter list revision is the responsibility of the Election Commission, yet even on this issue, the Congress is spreading misinformation against the Central government. The Congress, he alleged, is failing to act constructively as an opposition and is instead misleading the people.

Criticising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Nayak said the CM has been making false statements. He claimed that even 50 per cent of the allocations in the previous budget have not been spent, while another budget is due in two months. He alleged that the state government has imposed or increased taxes on everything except air, yet development has stalled, and even potholes on roads are not being filled.

BJP Dakshina Kannada district president Satish Kumpala, BJP Mahila Morcha district president Dr Manjula Rao, district spokespersons Satish Prabhu, Arun Shetty and Rajagopal Rai, former taluk panchayat president Harish Moodushedde, and media in-charge Manohar Shetty were present at the press conference.

Nayak also said that employment guarantee schemes have existed since 1960 and have undergone several name changes, including Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and “Coolie for Food.” He claimed there are more schemes named after Nehru than Gandhi in the country. He alleged that Congress leaders who claim to uphold Gandhi’s name are not descendants of Gandhi but belong to the Nehru family, adding that the Congress wants Gandhi’s name but not his ideals.

He said the structure of the MGNREGA scheme has been changed to curb corruption and enhance accountability of states. The new Act, he added, includes positive provisions such as an increase in the number of employment days, penalties if wages are not paid within 15 days, unemployment allowance if work is not provided, and higher administrative expenditure for monitoring. He said these aspects would be explained to people in villages across the state.