Sonia Gandhi
Credit: Sansad TV via PTI Photo
New Delhi: Accusing the Modi government of “bulldozing” MGNREGA to bring in ‘VB-G RAM G’ without consensus,” top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday vowed to fight the “black law” with lakhs of party workers, claiming that it has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, workers and the landless rural poor of the country.
In a video message, she said recalled that the MGNREGA was passed by the Manmohan Singh government in Parliament 20 years ago after arriving at a consensus and the "revolutionary step" became a "source of livelihood" benefitted crores of rural families, especially for the deprived, exploited, poor and extremely poor.
Emphasising that MGNREGA was a "concrete step" to realise Mahatma Gandhi's dream of 'Gram Swaraj', she said the scheme put a check on forced migration, where people had to leave their villages and families in search of work while giving the legal right to employment and strengthening gram panchayats.
“Over the past 11 years, the Modi government has made every attempt to weaken MGNREGA by ignoring the interests of the unemployed, the poor and the deprived in rural areas, even though during the COVID period it proved to be a lifeline for the poor,” she said.
“But it is extremely unfortunate that recently the government has bulldozed MGNREGA. Not only was Mahatma Gandhi’s name removed, but the very form and structure of MGNREGA was arbitrarily changed—without any discussion, without consultation, and without taking the opposition into confidence," she said.
A union government "far removed from ground realities” will now decide on who will get how much work, where and in what manner, she said, adding the Congress had a major role in implementing MGNREGA but it never treated it as a party-linked issue but a scheme connected to national interest and public welfare.
“By weakening this law, the Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, workers and the landless rural poor of the country. We are all prepared to confront this attack. Twenty years ago, I too fought to secure the right to employment for my poor brothers and sisters, and even today I am committed to fighting against this black law. Like me, all Congress leaders and lakhs of workers stand with you,” she said.
The Congress has already announced nationwide protest against‘Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G Bill 2025’ was passed by Parliament on Thursday, seeking to replace MGNREGA and make it a supply-driven programme, which will also put financial burden on the states for running the programme.