Chandigarh, Dec 30 (NationPress) The Finance Minister of Punjab, Harpal Cheema, vehemently criticized the BJP-led Union government on Tuesday, accusing it of deliberately dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, thereby depriving the impoverished of their right to earn a living.

While addressing the Vidhan Sabha, Cheema supported a resolution opposing the modifications and the renaming of the MGNREGA scheme to 'Viksit Bharat -- G GRAM G', labeling this move as an “attack on the livelihoods of the marginalized”.

During his speech, the Finance Minister shared a touching letter from a female worker, Charanjit Kaur, which captured the worries of countless rural laborers. Kaur’s correspondence expressed her fear that the alterations in regulations and centralized village lists would rob children of education and the elderly of essential healthcare.

Cheema pointed out that by centralizing the scheme and implementing complicated mobile-based attendance, the Union government is eroding the “guarantee” of work that has historically been vital for rural survival.

He accused the BJP of acting against the ethos of the Constitution penned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, criticizing the BJP-led Union government for undermining its fundamental principles.

Cheema emphasized that the Preamble of the Constitution, which encapsulates the core values of the nation, is being compromised by the policies of the Centre. The Preamble asserts, “We, the People of India, solemnly resolve to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic.”

The Finance Minister mentioned that the Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that the Preamble to the Constitution is inviolable, reinforcing its revered status.

In a forceful denunciation, Cheema further articulated that the Union government is striving to reduce the nation’s labor force to “bonded laborers” and “slaves” under a centralized framework.

This strategy, he argued, is dismantling cooperative federalism, stripping states of their rights, and undermining local economies, which he characterized as a direct assault on the essence of democracy.

Expressing his objections to renaming the scheme after religious figures, Cheema asserted that while Lord Rama is revered globally, assigning a religious name to a government scheme is merely a political maneuver to deflect criticism.

He cautioned that this sets a perilous precedent where demonstrators fighting for wages or rights could be branded as disrespectful to religious sentiments. Highlighting the contrast with the Punjab government's initiatives, Cheema stated that the Aam Aadmi Party is diligently working for the upliftment of the Dalit community through tangible actions.

He noted that for the first time in Punjab’s history, the Dalit community has achieved remarkable representation, with six out of 15 ministers in the Mann cabinet.

In another historic milestone, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appointed the state's inaugural Dalit Finance Minister, a role that previous Congress and Akali regimes never assigned to a Dalit leader.

In conclusion, Finance Minister Cheema warned the Union government of a significant nationwide movement, declaring that the Punjab government and the Aam Aadmi Party would steadfastly support the laborers.

He urged the Speaker to send the numerous letters received from MGNREGA workers, many with thumb impressions, to the Prime Minister's Office, illustrating the human impact of these policy shifts.

“We will not permit the BJP to take away the sustenance from our workers to benefit corporate interests,” Cheema asserted.