BENGALURU: Even as the Congress mounts a statewide protest against the Centre’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Karnataka unit of the party has found itself on the defensive after documents surfaced showing that a BBMP ward in Bengaluru earlier named Gandhi Nagar has been renamed Nehru Nagar.
The issue was brought into the public domain by BJP MP P C Mohan, who shared official records on social media and accused the Congress-led state government of double standards. The revelation has sparked sharp political reactions, with the BJP alleging hypocrisy while the Congress protests the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name at the national level.
Taking to X, Mohan said the Congress has no moral authority to oppose the renaming of MGNREGA when, under its own government in Karnataka, the name of Gandhi has allegedly been quietly removed from a city ward. He claimed that while the Congress is staging massive protests over the Centre rechristening MGNREGA as VB–G RAM, it remained silent when Gandhi Nagar ward in Bengaluru was renamed as Nehru Nagar.
Congress cries over MGNREGA’s renaming but quietly removes Gandhi by renaming Gandhinagar Ward as Nehru Nagar in Bengaluru. Same act, different tears. pic.twitter.com/l4vwd29Aj0
— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) January 27, 2026
“The Congress is crying hoarse over the renaming of MGNREGA, but in Bengaluru, Gandhi Nagar ward has been renamed as Nehru Nagar, silently erasing Gandhi’s name. Same act, different outrage,” Mohan wrote, sharing documents related to the ward name change.
The BJP MP further alleged that the Congress selectively invokes Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy for political convenience. He said opposing the removal of Gandhi’s name in one context while allowing it in another exposes the party’s lack of consistency. Mohan argued that Gandhi’s legacy should not be reduced to a political tool and called for honesty and integrity in public discourse.
According to documents shared by the BJP, the change occurred during the ward reorganisation exercise ahead of the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Earlier, under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the Gandhi Nagar ward was in the city’s central zone. Following reorganisation, the ward has reportedly been renamed as Nehru Nagar ward.
The ward continues to fall under the Gandhi Nagar Assembly constituency and within the limits of the central municipal zone, but the change in nomenclature has now become politically sensitive in the backdrop of the larger MGNREGA renaming controversy.
The development has embarrassed the Congress, which has been aggressively protesting the Centre’s decision to rename MGNREGA. In Karnataka, the ruling party has launched a large-scale agitation, including protests in Bengaluru, padayatras at the gram panchayat level, and even a special session of the state legislature to condemn the Centre’s move.
Congress leaders have accused the Union government of attempting to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy by renaming flagship welfare schemes associated with him. They have described the move as an ideological attack and have vowed to continue their agitation until the original name is restored.
However, the revelation about the Gandhi Nagar ward has triggered criticism on social media, with several users accusing the Congress of hypocrisy. Netizens questioned how the party could oppose the removal of Gandhi’s name nationally while permitting a similar change locally. Some sarcastic posts congratulated the Congress for showcasing its “commitment” to Gandhi by renaming a ward after Jawaharlal Nehru.
