The Congress party launched a vigorous protest on Tuesday, both inside and outside Parliament, against proposed amendments to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The party labeled the bill as "anti-people" and argued it would undermine the rights and livelihoods of rural workers.
Inside Parliament: A Lyrical Jab and a Moral Warning
In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a pointed critique of the government's approach. Recalling an old Bollywood song, "dekho o deewano (tum) ye kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnam na karo," Tharoor suggested the government was tarnishing a vital scheme. He emphasized that removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the legislation would strip it of its moral compass and historical legitimacy.
Rahul Gandhi's 'Sansad to Sadak' Fight Against the Bill
Leading the charge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sounded the bugle for a "sansad to sadak" (Parliament to streets) movement against the rural employment guarantee bill. He launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging the PM aims to destroy the secure livelihood of the poor after having already devastated the future of India's youth through massive unemployment.
Gandhi detailed his objections, stating that saddling state governments with a 40% financial burden would destroy the foundational principles of MGNREGA. He listed these core principles as:
- The right to work.
- Full central support for wages.
- The central government bearing three-fourths of material costs.
- Autonomy for villages to decide their own development works.
He accused the Prime Minister of having a "deep dislike" for the rights of the poor and hailed MGNREGA as a living embodiment of Gandhi's vision of 'gram swaraj' (village self-rule), calling it a lifeline for crores of rural Indians.
The Political Ramifications and Ongoing Battle
The protest highlights the escalating political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress over welfare policies. The Congress's decision to protest inside and outside Parliament signals its intent to make this a major public issue. The debate also puts a spotlight on internal party dynamics, with Shashi Tharoor—often accused by sections within his own party of being soft on the BJP—taking a prominent and critical stance against the government on this bill.
The fate of the proposed amendments and the intensity of the opposition's campaign are likely to shape the political discourse around rural distress and employment in the coming weeks.
