Sonia Gandhi has accused the central government of dismantling MGNREGA by replacing it with the ‘Viksit Bharat–G Ram Ji Bill’, warning that the move weakens rural employment rights and harms millions of poor and marginalized families.
Sonia Gandhi launches a scathing attack on Central Government over MGNREGA.
New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has leveled serious allegations against the central government regarding MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).
She stated that the government recently passed the ‘Viksit Bharat-G Ram Ji Bill’ during the winter session of Parliament, replacing MGNREGA, which goes against the original spirit and objectives of the scheme. Despite strong opposition from the opposition, the bill was passed first in the Lok Sabha and then in the Rajya Sabha.
Sonia Gandhi recalled that nearly 20 years ago, when Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, MGNREGA was passed in Parliament with consensus. This law was a revolutionary step for rural India.
It provided millions of poor, deprived, and exploited families with the legal right to employment in their own villages. It curbed migration, empowered Gram Panchayats, and strengthened the rural economy. This scheme has been considered a concrete step towards Mahatma Gandhi's dream of Gram Swaraj (village self-rule).
“20 Years of MGNREGA Destroyed in One Day,” Says Rahul
Sonia Gandhi alleged that over the past 11 years, the Modi government has consistently tried to weaken MGNREGA. She said that during crises like Covid-19, MGNREGA proved to be a lifeline for the poor, yet the government has now changed the nature of the scheme.
She stated that without any comprehensive discussion, consultation, or taking the opposition into confidence, Mahatma Gandhi's name was removed from MGNREGA, and employment-related decisions will now be made from Delhi, which is far removed from the ground realities.
Sonia Gandhi clarified that MGNREGA was not just a Congress scheme but a law related to the country and public interest. She said that weakening this law is an attack on the rights of millions of farmers, laborers, and landless rural poor. She announced that the Congress will fight against this "black law" with full force, and she herself will be at the forefront of this struggle.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had also termed the ‘G Ram Ji Bill’ as anti-state and anti-village. He said that this bill abolishes the rights-based and demand-driven guarantee of MNREGA and transforms it into a limited scheme controlled by the central government.
According to Rahul Gandhi, MNREGA empowered rural laborers, reduced migration, and saved millions from starvation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the government wants to eliminate this very power.
