Congress Protests MNREGA Renaming in Lucknow

Leaders stopped at Assembly barricades as party stages statewide agitation

February 17, 2026: Congress leaders and workers gathered near the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in Lucknow to protest the alleged renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme and voice dissent against the state government. Hundreds of party workers marched from the Congress office towards the Assembly carrying banners and flags, but were stopped by heavy police and paramilitary deployment. Barricades were erected to prevent the protesters from advancing further.

Senior Congress leaders, including Ajay Rai, Avinash Pandey, Aradhana Mishra Mona and former legislative council member Deepak Singh, were present at the protest and seen coordinating with workers at the barricades. Clashes were reported as some activists attempted to push past security arrangements, while police sought to maintain order and prevent entry into the Assembly premises.

The protest was part of a wider agitation organised across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, reflecting the party’s opposition to the reported MNREGA renaming and other policy decisions impacting labourers and social welfare beneficiaries. Despite being stopped, Congress leaders asserted that their demonstration would remain peaceful but firm, urging public support and raising concerns over workers’ rights and welfare schemes.