www.thestatesman.com India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | | FOLLOW US: ` 5.00 | 8th Day @TheStatesmanLtd KOLKATA | @thestatesmanltd NEW DELHI People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR Evolve Goodbye 2025: A time of transition | 28 December 2025 S P O RT S Interview with Rani Neutill Patrick Dorgu’s first Man U goal brings festive cheer after 1-0 win over Newcastle Page 16 Congress to launch nationwide protest over MGNREGA repeal Drugmaker rejects Australia’s alert on fake antirabies vaccine in India: New Delhi: Hyderabad-based drugmaker Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) on Saturday refuted claims by Australian health authorities over fake doses of its antirabies vaccine in India. Earlier this week, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation issued an alert that counterfeit batches of rabies vaccine Abhayrab have been circulating in India since November 2023. In a statement, IIL “strongly refuted the over-cautionary and misplaced reference to 2023”, adding that the alert “does not reflect the current situation”. The Australian alert said people who have received the counterfeit vaccine may not be fully protected against rabies. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 December T he Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday decided to initiate a massive nationwide agitation starting 5 January 2026 to oppose the Union Government’s move to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guar- antee Act (MGNREGA). Party President Mallikarjun Kharge made the announce ment at a press conference following a CWC meeting held today, reiterating the par ty’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of rural workers. “The Indian National Congress solemnly vows to lead a MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan from 5th January 2026. We will protest the repeal of MGNREGA at all costs,” Mr Kharge said. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the briefing , strongly condemning the government’s decision. “The Prime Minister’s Office has decided to replace MGNREGA. This is a devastating attack on federalism. MGNREGA strengthened panchayats and empowered rural India. The government is snatching the poor’s right,” he stated. Mr Gandhi fur ther accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of harbouring “a deep dislike” for the rights of the poor, calling MGNREGA the “living embodiment” of Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj vision, especially crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic. “For ten years, this government has weakened it; now it aims to erase it Allu Arjun among 23 chargesheeted in theatre stampede case: That Special Feeling England skipper Ben Stokes applauds the crowd after England routed Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket Test match in Melbourne. With this win, England ended their 15-year wait for a Test victory on Australian soil. AGENCIES (Match report on Page 16) Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police have filed a chargesheet in the Pushpa 2 movie stampede case naming 23 individuals, including Telugu filmstar Allu Arjun. While the owners of the Sandhya Cinema were named as prime accused, the actor was named as accused number 11 in the chargesheet. Last year, the stampede on the night of the release of Pushpa 2 led to the death of a woman and left her young son critically injured. Page 8 Decoding BJP’s Brahmin ‘discontent’ ~ reduced influence, representation in top posts VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 27 December On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow to honour the life and ideals of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP ideologues Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. Sources said the aim was also to assuage a particular community, which has largely supported the saffron party. Significantly, the three late leaders all belonged to the Brahmin community Of late, there have been reports of discontent among the community in Hindi heartland states, particularly in Uttar Pradesh where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a Thakur. The unhappiness seems to have increased following the appointment of new BJP state chief Pankaj Chaudhary ~ a Kurmi leader and the fourth from the caste to head UP BJP in an outreach to OBCs to counter rival Samajwadi Party’s 'PDA' (Pichre ~ backward, Dalit and Alpashankhak ~ minority) alliances. What sparked a major political controversy was a meeting of Brahmin MLAs, prompting Mr Chaudhary to issue a warning against such gatherings. The move drew sharp reactions from Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav and the Congress, highlighting growing unease among Brahmin leaders within the ruling party. Adding fuel to the fire was an August meeting of Thakur MLAs in Lucknow, which did not attract any such warning from the BJP leadership. Fishing in troubled waters, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai accused the BJP leadership of “insulting” Brahmin MLAs. He said meetings of other caste groups were held without objection, but Brahmin leaders were singled out. Mr Rai urged the MLAs to take a strong stand, assuring them of Congress support against any injustice. The meeting in question took place on 23 December at the Lucknow residence of Kushinagar BJP MLA P.N. Pathak. It saw the attendance of around 45 to 50 Brahmin MLAs, and is said to have also included some from other parties. According to sources, the MLAs discussed concerns that Brahmins are losing influence in caste-based politics and being ignored within the BJP and the government. They felt that despite the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak from the community, real authority had not been given. Concerns were also raised about the reduced representation of Brahmins in party positions, influential representatives in the RSS, BJP, and government who can effectively raise community issues. They are said to have decided to hold another meeting in January which is expected to be attended by former MLAs, MPs, and retired IAS, IPS, and judicial officers, according to reports, completely,” he added. The CWC emphasised that MGNREGA is more than a government scheme ~ it is “the embodiment of the right to work envisioned by the Constitution of India.” The committee pledged to collectively fight for the dignity, employment, and fair, timely compensation of rural workers. It vowed to defend the demand-driven employment model and uphold the autonomy of the gram sabha. A major point of contention is the government’s proposal to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and convert workers’ rights into a mere government dole. The Congress regards MGNREGA as a landmark achievement of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which provided a vital lifeline during crises like the pandemic. Digvijaya Singh’s praise for RSS puts Cong in a spot, invites jibes from BJP SHAHID ABBAS New Delhi, 27 December Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, known for making controversial statements, stirred a fresh political row, this time just as the party was preparing for a crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to deliberate on the current political situation and strategy against the BJP-led government. Mr Singh, who had previously called for internal reforms within the Congress, on Saturday shared a black-and-white photograph of BJP veteran L.K Advani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, praising the organisational strength of the BJP and its ideological fountainhead ~ the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ~ both frequent targets of Congress criticism, particularly by Rahul Gandhi. The undated photo showed Advani at an event with a young Modi seated on the floor nearby. Referring to Mr Modi’s rise, the Congress leader highlighted how grassroots workers in the Sangh-BJP ecosystem could climb the ranks to become Chief Minister and Prime Minister. “I found this picture on the Quora site. It is very impactful. It shows how an RSS grassroots volunteer and a Jan Sangh/BJP worker, who once sat on the floor at the feet of leaders, went on to become a state’s chief minister and the country’s prime minister. This is the power of organisation,” Mr Singh wrote on social media, tagging senior leaders in the post, in what was widely seen as an indirect jibe at his own party. Responding to Mr Singh’s observation, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi dismissed it as an “internal matter of the Congress”. At the same time, however, he also used the opportunity to attack the Congress, claiming that the remarks reflected the party’s “ignorance” and a “deep-rooted conspiracy” against Hindus and the RSS. Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Trivedi also cited former US President Barack Obama’s book in which he described the Congress leader as having “a nervous, uninformed quality… eager to impress the teacher, but deep down lacking either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject.” However, Digvijaya Singh later said he was merely praising the concept of organisational strength and remained a staunch opponent of the RSS and PM Modi’s policies. “You are misunderstanding things. I praised the party organisation. I am a fierce opponent of the RSS and Modi ji,” he said.