Rahul Gandhi invokes farm laws as Congress urges unity against MGNREGA repeal

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that the party would keep fighting until the government withdraws the new Act and restores MGNREGA.

New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday urged workers to take a cue from farmers to stand united to the rollback of VB-G RAM G Act with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi claiming the Modi government's objectives in repealing MGNREGA are the same as they were in bringing the three "black" farm laws.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the repeal of MGNREGA was an “attempt to remove” Mahatma Gandhi from public memory and asserted that his party will strongly raise the issue during Parliament's upcoming Budget session. Both the leaders were addressing the National MGNREGA Workers' Convention organised by the ‘Rachnatmak Congress’.

Emphasising that the concept of MGNREGA was to give rights to the poor, Rahul said anyone who needs work should be able to demand it and receive work with dignity and that this scheme would be implemented through the Panchayati Raj system in which there was the voice of the people and workers.

“Now Modi-ji and the BJP want to destroy that concept. A few years ago, they attacked farmers and brought in black laws. But the farmers stopped them. I remember that in Parliament and on the streets, farmers put pressure...and those laws were repealed. The same concept that they tried to impose on farmers, they are now trying to impose on workers,” he said.

Recalling the farmers' protest that led to the repeal of farm laws, he said 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' is a "big opportunity" for the poor people who believe in the Constitution and the idea of India and that "if they stand together, Modi-ji will back off and MGNREGA would be reinstated".

"But let me say one more thing -- if there is one weakness, it is the lack of unity. Poor people have not stood together so far; now they will have to. This is a very big opportunity," Rahul said.

Claiming that the Modi government is working to end MGNREGA so that the oppressed and downtrodden people of the country can be turned into "bonded labourers", Kharge said the Congress would keep fighting until the government withdraws the new Act and restores MGNREGA.

At the event attended by Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal and Rachnatmak Congress Chairperson Sandeep Dikshit among others, Kharge said, "this is the first time any party has dared to remove Mahatma Gandhi's name from a scheme named after him. The nation will not tolerate this."