Vows fight against new ‘black law’
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of “bulldozing” the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and vowed that the party would defy what she termed a “black law” seeking to repeal it.
In a video message, Gandhi alleged that by weakening MGNREGA, the Centre had attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers and landless poor, and ignored the rural poor over the past 11 years. Recalling the passage of MGNREGA 20 years ago under then prime minister Manmohan Singh, she described it as a “revolutionary step” that curbed distress migration, guaranteed the right to work and empowered gram panchayats.
She alleged that the government had arbitrarily altered the scheme without consultation, removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name and centralised decision-making in Delhi, ignoring ground realities. Stressing that MGNREGA was never party-specific but linked to national interest, Gandhi said Congress leaders and workers would oppose the move at all levels. Parliament on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, replacing MGNREGA and guaranteeing 125 days of rural employment annually.
While the Opposition protested the change and removal of Gandhi’s name, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the new law was needed to address shortcomings in the old scheme.