Congress leader Sonia Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. She accused the administration of launching an assault on the livelihoods of crores of farmers, labourers, and landless citizens across India.
Allegations of Bulldozing MGNREGA
Sonia Gandhi claimed that the government has effectively bulldozed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). She alleged that in doing so, the authorities not only removed Mahatma Gandhi's name from the flagship rural jobs scheme but also fundamentally altered its structure. According to her, these changes were made without any proper consultation with stakeholders or the opposition.
She asserted that over the last 11 years, the Modi government has consistently ignored the interests of the rural poor with the intention of weakening MGNREGA. Her statement comes just two days after a significant parliamentary move.
The New Bill and Political Backlash
On Thursday, the Union government passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha. This new legislation seeks to replace the existing MGNREGA and the scheme named under it, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Gandhi framed this legislative change as a "black law" and declared that lakhs of Congress workers are ready to fight against it. Her rhetoric signals a major political confrontation over an issue central to rural India's economic security.
Implications for Rural India
The replacement of MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee marks a pivotal shift in India's rural employment and welfare policy. The original act was renowned for providing a legal guarantee of 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households. Any structural change, therefore, has direct consequences for millions of vulnerable families dependent on this safety net.
Sonia Gandhi's forceful condemnation sets the stage for a heated debate in the Rajya Sabha and beyond, as the government pushes forward with its new vision for rural livelihood missions. The Congress party appears poised to make this a central issue in its political campaign against the ruling dispensation.
