New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP-led Union government of attempting to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that the intent behind the proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act mirrors the approach earlier adopted through the now-repealed farm laws.
Speaking at the National Convention of MGNREGA Workers organised by Rachnatmak Congress, Rahul said MGNREGA was envisioned as a rights-based welfare legislation that guaranteed employment to the rural poor through local self-governance institutions.
He stressed that the scheme was designed to ensure the “right to work” for every needy citizen and to be implemented through the Panchayati Raj system. According to him, the present government is attempting to weaken this foundation by centralising control and removing the rights-based nature of the law.
Drawing parallels with the farmers’ protest, Rahul recalled how sustained collective resistance forced the Centre to withdraw the three controversial farm laws. He argued that a similar strategy was now being employed against workers and labourers.
“The farmers succeeded because they stood together and put pressure on the government. Workers must now unite in the same way to safeguard their rights,” he said.
Rahul further alleged that under the proposed legislation, decision-making powers regarding work allocation and funding would be shifted to the Centre, with preferential treatment for BJP-ruled states. He claimed this would benefit contractors and bureaucratic structures rather than workers.
Accusing the ruling party of promoting economic concentration, Rahul said the BJP’s model aimed to place national resources in the hands of a few corporate groups, making the poor increasingly dependent. “They want a system where decisions are taken by a select few at the top,” he remarked.
At one point during his address, Rahul briefly struggled to recall the exact name of the proposed law and sought help from the audience.
The convention witnessed participation from workers across the country, who brought soil from their respective worksites as a symbolic gesture. The soil was later placed in plant saplings in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Earlier this month, the Congress had launched a 45-day nationwide agitation titled ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’, demanding the withdrawal of the VB-G RAM G Act and the restoration of MGNREGA in its original rights-based form, including the empowerment of gram panchayats.