<p>New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday warned the Centre that people won't let their leaders roam on roads if they end UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme meant to provide 100 days' guaranteed livelihood to eligible rural households.</p>.<p>Participating in a debate on Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 to replace MGNREGA, he accused the BJP-led government of putting in efforts to weaken the poor to put them in "slavery" through the proposed legislation.</p>.<p>"It (MGNREGA) is a very big and important law. We should not take it lightly. Because this is a law related to the poor and it is not good to tamper with it. That is why I would say that it is not good that you are working to bring a new law in place of the old one. People will not let you roam on the roads," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He said MGNREGA was introduced to feed the poor who could not work and "today you are taking away the rights" given to them.</p>.<p>"What is your intention behind it? To weaken the poor people. To crush them and put them into the slavery again," Kharge said.</p>.<p>Referring to farmers' agitation that led to the scrapping of three contentious agriculture laws in 2021, he said the time will come again when you would have to withdraw this new Bill the way you took back the "three black farm laws".</p>.<p>"We will come on to the streets. We will even face bullets but we will never support this law," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He suggested that MGNREGA be continued in its old form and strengthened, otherwise all poor people will be "ruined".</p>.<p>Kharge cited several government documents and assurances that said that the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has resulted in an increase in rural household income and poverty alleviation among others.</p>.No clear fix for rural drinking water units, Priyank Kharge admits in Karnataka Assembly.<p>He asked the government not to "harm the poor by ending the scheme".</p>.<p>"Don't do that. 'Moonh me Ram, Bagal Me Chhuri' (loosely meaning 'A wolf in lamb's clothing'). Keep saying 'Ram Ram' for the poor, but keep that knife beside you and hit them (poor) from front, back and in the neck. If you continue to work like this (to end MGNREGA), no one will forgive you," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He also accused the Centre of ending MGNREGA through "slow poisoning" by reducing its budget from Rs 1,11,500 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 86,000 crore in 2025-26.</p>.<p>"I swear by my mother, this law is not good for the poor and you want to eliminate the poor," an emotionally charged Kharge said.</p>.<p>He said that it would be better if the Centre withdrew it or at least refer it to the select committee of Parliament.</p>.<p>TMC's Derek O'Brien said that the bill comes from a feudal mindset.</p>.<p>"The bill comes from a feudal mindset. Their mindset is feudal. MGNREGA was a right. Now they want to dish it out as a dole before polls. It's not a gift. It is not workers dependent on the benevolence of the state, by doing what they're doing in this new bill, which is to kill MGNREGA...," he said.</p>.<p>Derek asked the Centre not to pass the bill in the dead of the night and rather take this bill to a select committee.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday warned the Centre that people won't let their leaders roam on roads if they end UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme meant to provide 100 days' guaranteed livelihood to eligible rural households.</p>.<p>Participating in a debate on Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 to replace MGNREGA, he accused the BJP-led government of putting in efforts to weaken the poor to put them in "slavery" through the proposed legislation.</p>.<p>"It (MGNREGA) is a very big and important law. We should not take it lightly. Because this is a law related to the poor and it is not good to tamper with it. That is why I would say that it is not good that you are working to bring a new law in place of the old one. People will not let you roam on the roads," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He said MGNREGA was introduced to feed the poor who could not work and "today you are taking away the rights" given to them.</p>.<p>"What is your intention behind it? To weaken the poor people. To crush them and put them into the slavery again," Kharge said.</p>.<p>Referring to farmers' agitation that led to the scrapping of three contentious agriculture laws in 2021, he said the time will come again when you would have to withdraw this new Bill the way you took back the "three black farm laws".</p>.<p>"We will come on to the streets. We will even face bullets but we will never support this law," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He suggested that MGNREGA be continued in its old form and strengthened, otherwise all poor people will be "ruined".</p>.<p>Kharge cited several government documents and assurances that said that the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has resulted in an increase in rural household income and poverty alleviation among others.</p>.No clear fix for rural drinking water units, Priyank Kharge admits in Karnataka Assembly.<p>He asked the government not to "harm the poor by ending the scheme".</p>.<p>"Don't do that. 'Moonh me Ram, Bagal Me Chhuri' (loosely meaning 'A wolf in lamb's clothing'). Keep saying 'Ram Ram' for the poor, but keep that knife beside you and hit them (poor) from front, back and in the neck. If you continue to work like this (to end MGNREGA), no one will forgive you," Kharge said.</p>.<p>He also accused the Centre of ending MGNREGA through "slow poisoning" by reducing its budget from Rs 1,11,500 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 86,000 crore in 2025-26.</p>.<p>"I swear by my mother, this law is not good for the poor and you want to eliminate the poor," an emotionally charged Kharge said.</p>.<p>He said that it would be better if the Centre withdrew it or at least refer it to the select committee of Parliament.</p>.<p>TMC's Derek O'Brien said that the bill comes from a feudal mindset.</p>.<p>"The bill comes from a feudal mindset. Their mindset is feudal. MGNREGA was a right. Now they want to dish it out as a dole before polls. It's not a gift. It is not workers dependent on the benevolence of the state, by doing what they're doing in this new bill, which is to kill MGNREGA...," he said.</p>.<p>Derek asked the Centre not to pass the bill in the dead of the night and rather take this bill to a select committee.</p>