Rahul Gandhi Urges Unity to Protect MGNREGA from Govt Overhaul

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on January 22, 2026, strongly criticised the Modi government for attempting to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the VB-GRAM-G Act, likening it to the repealed farm laws that faced massive protests. Speaking at the National MGNREGA Workers’ Convention organised by Rachnatmak Congress in New Delhi, he urged rural workers and the poor to unite against what he described as an attack on their constitutional right to work.

Gandhi highlighted that MGNREGA was enacted to guarantee 100 days of wage employment as a legal right through the Panchayati Raj system, empowering rural poor and local self-governance. He accused the government of dismantling this framework by centralising control, alleging that funds would favour BJP-ruled states while benefits get siphoned to contractors and bureaucrats. “The BJP wants to end the concept of work as a right,” he said, warning that the new law would concentrate wealth among a few and make the poor dependent on corporate giants.

Drawing parallels with the historic farmers’ movement, Gandhi recalled how unified protests forced the repeal of the three farm laws. “We all united and got those laws repealed. The government is now attempting the same with workers,” he asserted, vowing that Congress would not allow history to repeat itself without resistance.

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The party has launched a 45-day nationwide campaign titled ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ starting January 10, demanding full withdrawal of the VB-GRAM-G Act, restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based scheme, and reinstatement of panchayats’ authority in implementation. The convention saw participation from MGNREGA workers, union leaders, and Congress functionaries, amplifying calls for protecting rural livelihoods amid fears of reduced employment security and decentralised governance.

The remarks come amid ongoing debates on rural employment policy, with the government reportedly weighing dual budget allocations under the new scheme, while opposition parties continue to frame it as an assault on constitutional guarantees for the poor.

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