“Congress Draws the Line”: Kharge Launches Nationwide ‘Save MNREGA’ Campaign After Major Law Change
Congress launches 'Save MNREGA' campaign from Jan 5 against its replacement and removal of Gandhi's name.
Following a crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced a nationwide ‘Save MNREGA’ campaign, set to begin on January 5. He said the party will make the rural employment guarantee scheme the centre of a mass movement across India. According to Kharge, Congress leaders took a collective oath to defend MNREGA from any dilution or restructuring.
Addressing the media, Kharge asserted that MNREGA is not just a welfare initiative but a right to work guaranteed by the Constitution. He warned that the Congress would democratically oppose what he described as “every conspiracy” to weaken the scheme. The party, he said, would also resist any attempt to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the legislation.
Kharge’s remarks come amid major changes to India’s rural employment framework. President Droupadi Murmu recently gave assent to the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, paving the way for a new statutory model for rural wage employment. The government has projected the move as a milestone reform aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.
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The new Act enhances the statutory employment guarantee to 125 days per financial year for rural households. It aims to promote inclusive growth, strengthen livelihood security, and ensure better convergence of development schemes. Officials say the law focuses on empowerment, resilience, and saturation-based delivery in rural India.
However, the legislation also replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, a move strongly opposed by the Congress. The party argues that MNREGA carries historic, social, and constitutional significance. With its upcoming campaign, Congress is preparing for a sustained political and grassroots battle over the future of rural employment policy.
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