A day before the Congress party's planned nationwide protest to save MGNREGA, leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) launched a strong counter-attack, defending the newly introduced rural employment law. At a press conference held in Patna on Wednesday, the coalition staunchly supported the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajeevika Mission- Grameen (VB-G RAM G) Act, which has replaced the older Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
NDA Leaders Rally Behind New Guarantee Act
The press conference saw a united front from NDA constituents. BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi, JD(U) state chief Umesh Singh Kushwaha, LJP(RV) state president Raju Tiwari, HAM(S) principal general secretary Rajesh Pandey, and RLM's Subhash Chandravanshi collectively presented their case. They accused the opposition, particularly the Congress, of spreading misinformation and protesting for the sake of it.
Sanjay Saraogi led the charge, stating that previous schemes like MGNREGA and the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana were "plagued by corruption." He asserted that the new Act is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and will accelerate development. "Bihar will develop only when the country develops," he said, highlighting that the new legislation guarantees 125 days of employment annually, a significant increase from the 100 days under MGNREGA.
Allegations of Misinformation and Political Vendetta
The NDA leaders repeatedly accused the opposition INDIA alliance of creating false narratives. JD(U)'s Umesh Singh Kushwaha detailed the improvements in the new law. "Payments, which were delayed for months earlier, will now be made weekly," he stated, calling it a major achievement. He also pointed out that increasing the administrative expenditure to 9% would enhance technical capacity and that the law includes provisions tailored to current socio-economic conditions.
LJP(RV) leader Raju Tiwari invoked former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's own admission about fund leakage, where only 20 rupees out of 100 reached beneficiaries. "The Congress admitted corruption during their rule. Today, funds go directly to bank accounts," he emphasized, adding that the opposition was now devoid of substantive issues.
The 'Ram' Factor and Name Change Controversy
A recurring theme in the NDA's argument was that the opposition's real objection was to the mention of 'Ram' in the new scheme's context, not its merits. Sanjay Saraogi claimed, "The opposition even gets upset at the mention of Lord Ram." HAM(S) leader Rajesh Pandey echoed this, noting that scheme names had been changed multiple times in the past without protest. "Their problem is with Lord Ram," he alleged.
RLM's Subhash Chandravanshi took a harder line, accusing the INDIA Alliance of being involved in scams and claiming that the MGNREGA scheme was not widely known before the NDA came to power. "PM Modi has transformed it. Now, the scammers will definitely feel the heat," he stated.
The NDA's coordinated defense in Patna sets the stage for a heated political battle as the Congress prepares to launch its 'MNREGA Bachao Sangram', with both sides digging in on the narrative of development, transparency, and political symbolism.
