Government destroying rural job guarantee scheme, says Congress as it steps up protest

NEW DELHI: Stepping up its attack on govt over the rollback of MGNREGA, Congress held protests at its district headquarters Sunday. This came a day after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a video message, accused the Modi govt of "bulldozing" MGNREGA and asserted that the "black law" that seeks to repeal it will be defied by lakhs of party workers across the country.

Earlier in the day, Congress leaders accused the Modi govt of "effectively dismantling MGNREGA - by converting it from a right to a favour" and "desecration of this groundbreaking law in Parliament over the last week". Meanwhile, the Left parties - CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc - have given a call for a joint protest on Monday.




In a post on X, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said that the party held nationwide protests in solidarity with "workers whose livelihoods and dignity are under attack".

"MGNREGA was a legal right to work, not a welfare handout. By capping funds, centralising control and altering its demand-driven nature, BJP has turned this right into a budget-dependent scheme, pushing crores of rural families into insecurity and distress," Venugopal said, adding Congress Working Committee on Dec 27 will decide the future course of action.

Calling MGNREGA "a lifeline for the poor", party president Mallikarjun Kharge accused govt of "purposely destroying the Act" and alleged that the ruling dispensation "wants to make the poor villagers and farm labourers slaves of the rich".
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