Story by Harshit Uttam I Updated : 27 December 2025
Rahul Gandhi charged that PM Modi has “single-handedly destroyed” MGNREGA, bypassing Cabinet and state consultation, and warned that the move undermines democracy and risks devastating the rural economy.
After the crucial CWC meeting, he lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government, claiming the VB-G RAM G Act was a devastating assault on states and the poor, “similar to demonetisation.”
He declared that Congress will fight back against the government’s action, expressing certainty that the opposition will rally together.
According to the former Congress chief, the Prime Minister “single-handedly wrecked” MGNREGA, bypassing Cabinet input and proper study.
He stated that Congress will resist and fight the move, expressing confidence that the opposition will unite against it. He added that the party will launch its nationwide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’ on January 5.
Gandhi wrote on X in Hindi that ending MGNREGA serves a single purpose: denying the poor their right to work, disempowering the states, and funneling resources to billionaire allies.
He cautioned that the Prime Minister’s “lone ranger” approach will cost the nation dearly—jobs will vanish, the rural economy will crumble, and with weakened villages, the country itself will falter.
According to Gandhi, MGNREGA was not merely a jobs programme but a visionary development model admired worldwide. He warned that scrapping it amounts to an attack on both citizens’ rights and the federal system.
At the press conference, he charged that the Prime Minister “single-handedly destroyed” MGNREGA, bypassing both Cabinet input and any review, calling it a devastating assault on states and the poor—akin to demonetisation.
Gandhi emphasized that MGNREGA was more than just a welfare programme; it reinforced grassroots democracy by energizing panchayats, injecting money into them, and granting them greater control over local decisions.
He asserted that the VB-G RAM G legislation targeting rural employment strikes at the democratic system, damages the third tier of government, and threatens the very foundation of the nation’s governance structure.
Gandhi argued that this move undermines the states by stripping them of funds and decision-making authority. He added that it also weakens state infrastructure, as MGNREGA had been instrumental in building it.
The Congress leader claimed that eliminating MGNREGA undermines Indian labour, as the scheme guaranteed a baseline of security that prevented workers from slipping below a minimum threshold.
Gandhi alleged that the move will inflict severe hardship on marginalized groups—including Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, poor general castes, and minorities—while disproportionately benefiting Mr. Adani. He claimed the intent is to divert resources from the poor to wealthy industrialists.
Parliament, amid loud opposition protests in the Winter Session, approved the VB-G RAM G Bill to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA. The act now guarantees 125 days of paid work for rural labourers.
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