Bhatkal: The Congress party has accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government of snatching away the constitutional right to employment of crores of rural workers through what it termed a “black and anti-people law.”
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Karnataka Minister for Ports, Fisheries and Inland Water Transport Mankal Vaidya said that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), introduced in 2005 during the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, has been effectively dismantled and replaced with the ‘VB G Ram G’ (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission – Rural), which he described as a conspiracy against rural India.
Vaidya alleged that the new law was pushed through Parliament during the Winter Session after barely eight hours of discussion on December 17, 2025, and was passed the following day by “bulldozing the House.” He said no consultation was held with the public, State governments or labour organisations, reflecting what he described as the authoritarian style of governance of the Modi government.
He said MGNREGA had been the backbone of rural livelihoods for the past 20 years, providing rural workers, women and small farmers a legal right to demand and obtain work locally. “That right has now been taken away. Employment under the new law is no longer a right, but is subject to the mercy of the Central government,” he alleged.
Crores of Workers, Women and Marginalised Sections Affected
According to Vaidya, the decision has impacted 12.16 crore MGNREGA workers across the country, including 53.61 per cent (6.21 crore) women, 17 per cent Scheduled Caste workers and 11 per cent Scheduled Tribe workers. He said the new law amounted to a direct attack on the livelihoods of women, Dalits, Adivasis and persons with disabilities.
He pointed out that in Karnataka alone, 71.18 lakh active MGNREGA workers were registered during 2025–26, including 36.75 lakh women (51.6 per cent), despite the State receiving good rainfall. “Yet, the Centre has chosen to trample upon their right to employment,” he said.
Assault on Panchayati Raj, Gram Swaraj and the Constitution
Vaidya said MGNREGA had empowered Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats, enabling the creation of durable rural assets and strengthening decentralised governance. However, under the new law, he alleged that all powers have been centralised in Delhi, undermining the spirit of Gram Swaraj and the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
He recalled that the Chief Minister of Karnataka, in a letter dated December 30, 2025, had warned the Centre that the law violates Articles 258 and 280 of the Constitution, curtails the right to employment, pushes States into financial distress, and would lead to a rise in unemployment.
Vaidya further said that while MGNREGA was fully funded by the Central government, the new VB G Ram G framework shifts the burden, with 60 per cent funding by the Centre and 40 per cent by the States, placing additional strain on State finances.
Return of Contractors, Push for Corporate Interests
The Minister alleged that while contractors were barred under MGNREGA and wages were directly credited to workers’ bank accounts, the new law allows contractors back into the system. “This is aimed at turning rural workers into cheap labour for corporate agricultural companies,” he charged.
He further accused the BJP government, under the ideological guidance of the RSS, of systematically weakening rights related to employment, education, food security, forests and information—rights that were enacted during the UPA regime for public welfare.
Rising Unemployment and Damage to Rural Economy
Vaidya warned that the new law would result in a sharp rise in unemployment, declining participation of rural women in the workforce, erosion of minimum wage protections, increased exploitation and pressure on labourers, and greater distress among Dalit and Adivasi families. He also cautioned that the move would lead to a slowdown in the creation of rural assets.
He recalled that during the drought year 2024–25, as many as 19.28 crore people nationwide depended on MGNREGA for survival, while 1.35 crore workers in Karnataka were able to sustain themselves through the scheme.
Warning of Mass Agitation
Drawing parallels with past farmers’ protests, Vaidya warned that rural workers, women and farmers were prepared to launch a statewide and nationwide agitation within the constitutional framework if the law was not withdrawn.
He demanded that the VB G Ram G Act be scrapped immediately, MGNREGA be restored and strengthened, the constitutional right to employment be reinstated, Panchayat autonomy be revived, and a minimum daily wage of ₹400 be guaranteed across the country.
The press conference was attended by Block Congress president Venkatesh Naik, Taluk Guarantee Scheme president Raju Naik, Block Congress general secretary Suresh Naik, Bhatkal Youth Congress president Imshad Mukhtasar, Bhaskar Mogera, Manjappa Naik, Eshwar Moger and Vitthal Naik, among other Congress leaders.