Will defend MGNREGA at all costs, says Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: The Congress party has declared war on the Centre’s recent replacement of the iconic Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G).

Following a high-powered Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here on Saturday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced a massive nationwide ‘Save MGNREGA Campaign’ starting January 5, 2026, framing it as a battle to protect the constitutional right to work for millions of rural poor.

Senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed the resolve on X, sharing a video of the press conference: “In today’s CWC meeting, we took an oath for a major movement centred on MGNREGA. The Indian National Congress will launch the ‘Save MGNREGA Campaign’ from January 5. This is the constitutional right to work for villagers and labourers—we will defend it at all costs. Jai Constitution, Jai Hind!”

Earlier during the day, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the media alongside Rahul Gandhi, slammed the new law as an assault on the poor, federalism, and the Gandhian legacy. He highlighted how the UPA-era MGNREGA, pioneered by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, transformed Directive Principles into enforceable rights, empowering Dalits, Adivasis, women, and marginalised communities.

“It stopped migration, built infrastructure, protected the environment, and saved lakhs during COVID—if MGNREGA hadn’t existed, many would have perished,” he said.

Criticising the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name, Kharge called it an “insult” and an ideological attack. “They can’t tolerate Gandhi’s name because his surname is Gandhi—they’re targeting that too.” He drew parallels to the successful farmers’ agitation against black laws, predicting similar public anger over shifted funding (now 60:40 Centre-State ratio, burdening states heavily) and unilateral decisions without stakeholder consultation.

Rahul Gandhi termed the overhaul a “devastating, single-handed attack by the Prime Minister, akin to demonetisation,” stripping demand-driven employment, decentralised panchayat powers, and wage guarantees. “It hurts states, infrastructure, labourers, and the vulnerable—while benefiting a few,” he alleged.

The CWC unanimously pledged to fight the “conspiracy to turn rights into charity,” raising slogans of “Jai Samvidhan—Jai Hind.” Kharge invoked global praise and even government admissions, including a NITI Aayog study lauding MGNREGA’s durable assets. With opposition unity assured, the Congress aims to mobilise villages nationwide, positioning the campaign as a defence of democracy’s third tier and rural dignity against central overreach.

IANS