Rajasthan govt renames Ujjwala Yojana after Indira Gandhi, BJP says: ‘Obsessed with Gandhi family’

Amid the ongoing Mehangai Rahat camps in Rajasthan, the Congress-led government has made a decision to rename the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to the Indira Gandhi Gas Subsidy Scheme. The announcement was made back in December when the Bharat Jodo Yatra was passing through Alwar.

Scheme renamed to appease Gandhi family: BJP

According to the plan, households enrolled in the Ujjwala scheme will receive 12 LPG cylinders annually at a price of ₹500 each. However, the BJP claimed that the state government renamed the scheme to gain political advantage and demonstrate its allegiance to the Gandhi family.

Ramlal Sharma, who is a BJP legislator and spokesperson, claimed that the Congress party still remains bound to the Gandhi family and all their actions are aimed at appeasing them. As per his statement, this is why the Ujjwala scheme has been named after Indira Gandhi. He further stated that the Congress party is excessively devoted to the culture of dynasticism and is unable to detach itself from figures such as Rajiv Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Move to gain political advantage: Poonia

Satish Poonia, who holds the position of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the state, claimed that the Congress party is attempting to obtain political advantage.

“In my knowledge, on the lines of the Ayushman Bharat, names of more schemes are being changed. Ayushmna Bharat was renamed as the Chiranjeevi Scheme. Ujjwala Yojana is being renamed for cheap marketing. It’s an unfruitful attempt to gain votes,” Poonia added.

Centre not giving subsidy, state govt is giving it: Khachariyawas

Food and civil supplies minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, when asked about the decision to rename the scheme, said: “Who is changing the name? The Indira Gandhi Cylinder Subsidy Scheme is for the benefit of the poor. You are not giving subsidies in Ujjwala Yojana. When the Congress government was in power, the cooking cylinder was available for ₹400. Today it’s ₹1,150. We are giving that at ₹500. The Centre is not giving cylinders for ₹500. If they did, we would have thanked them with folded hands. We will give a cylinder for ₹500. If the public is benefiting, let it happen.”

History of renaming govt schemes

The BJP and Congress parties have both been known to alter the names of government initiatives in the past. The Gehlot government, for instance, modified the names of several programs introduced by the preceding BJP administration. For example, the Annapurna Yojana was renamed as Indira Rasoi Yojana, while Ayushman Bharat was changed to Chiranjeevi.

During the previous Vasundhara Raje administration, the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras were renamed as Atal Seva Kendras. However, when the Congress party took charge, the names of these centers were changed to Rajiv Gandhi Atal Seva Kendra. Furthermore, under Vasundhara’s government, the Rajiv Shiksha Sankul was rebranded as Dr. Radhakrishnan Shiksha Sankul.

The Gehlot-led government removed Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s photographs from all official documents, while the Deendayal Upadhyay Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme was rechristened as the Chief Minister Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme. Similarly, the Guru Golwalkar Grameen Janbhagidari Yojana was renamed as the Mahatma Gandhi Grameen Janbhagidari Yojana. Additionally, the Chief Minister Jal Swavalamban Yojana has been changed to the Rajiv Gandhi Jal Swavalamban Yojana, and the Bhamashah scheme is now known as the Rajasthan Jan Aadhaar Yojana.

The crucial question is whether these alterations will prove advantageous for the current government in the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled to be held by the end of this year.