Modi govt driving India into ‘Vinash Bharat’: Congress announces MGNREGA protests from January 10

Accusing Modi government of taking India to ‘Vinash Bharat’ instead of ‘Viksit Bharat, Congress on Saturday announced a 45-day ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ from January 10 demanding the restoration of UPA-era rural job guarantee law and said it will explore “all options”, including its non-implementation in Opposition-ruled states.

The main Opposition party said it will reach out to other Opposition parties and the governments led by them to take the protest against the government repealing the “demand-driven, rights-based” MGNREGA for VB-G RAM G Act, which changes the scheme into “supply-driven” besides mandating states to bear 40 per cent of the expenses of the scheme.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party is “clearly and unequivocally” demanding withdrawal VB GRAM G Act, restore MGNREGA and restore the right to work and panchayats' authority. “Attacking MGNREGA is attacking crores of workers and their Constitutional Rights. We will resist, peacefully and firmly, from every Panchayat to Parliament,” he said on ‘X’.

Addressing a press conference to announce the January 10-February 25 agitation programme, General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal claimed that the Modi government’s “clear design is to kill” MGNREGA and a “Constitutional promise is being converted into a government programme” with job no longer remaining a right.

He said MGNREGA was the most decentralised scheme but the union government decides everything now with panchayats being “reduced to the role of a clerk”.

Asked whether the Congress governments in states would call for not implementing the new law, he said the present law is impossible to implement and they will explore all possibilities to stop the “anti-people law”. All Opposition parties have opposed it in Parliament and the Congress leadership will discuss with Opposition Chief Ministers and leaders soon, he said.

Questioning how cash-strapped states spend on the scheme, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh claimed that “centralisation” is the only guarantee in the new law, with the Centre deciding when, where and how to implement the scheme.

“This is not ‘Viksit Bharat (Developed India) but Vinash India (Ruined India)...“We are not demanding an amendment to the new Act. We are demanding the restoration of MGNREGA,” Ramesh said.

Warning that the VB-G RAM G Act will face the same fate of now-repealed three farm laws, the said the MGNREGA protests will be decentralised unlike the farmers’ protest, which was Delhi-centric. He said the new law will be challenged in courts also. Even BJP-ruled states will find it difficult to fund its 40 per cent share for the scheme.

Venugopal said the agitation programme starts with press conferences at districts on January 10 followed by a one-day fast at district headquarters or near Gandhi or Ambedkar statues.

The phase 2 of the protest between January 12 and 30 will see panchayat-level meetings, distribution of letters by Kharge and top leader Rahul Gandhi to all MGNREGA workers and gram pradhans among others, Assembly-level meetings and culminate on January 30, the martyrdom anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, with peaceful sit-in protests at ward level.

The phase 3 – January 31 to February 25 – will see district-level dharnas till February 6 and state-level gherao of Assembly or Raj Bhavans or central government offices between February 7 and 15. Congress will also organise four major rallies across the country between February 16 and 25.