New Delhi, December 28, 2025 – The Congress party has announced a nationwide agitation in response to the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of single-handedly dismantling one of India’s most significant rural livelihood initiatives. The party has warned that the repeal, effected through the recently passed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, could have severe consequences for the rural economy and millions of workers who rely on guaranteed employment.

The announcement of nationwide protests, set to begin January 5, 2026, follows the passage of the VB-G RAM G Act during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. Opposition parties had strongly protested the legislation, which replaces the 20-year-old MGNREGA framework, citing concerns over the rights of rural workers and states’ autonomy in implementing employment programs.

Congress Criticism: A Blow to Rural Workers and Federal Structure

Addressing a press conference after a nearly three-hour Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, party president Mallikarjun Kharge described the new legislation as a direct assault on the constitutional “Right to Work” and the livelihood rights of millions of rural citizens. Kharge announced the launch of the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’, a campaign modeled on the widespread protests that successfully overturned the central government’s three controversial farm laws. He said the agitation would involve rallies and demonstrations across the country, focusing on the preservation of workers’ rights in every village.

Kharge emphasized that MGNREGA is not merely a welfare scheme but a constitutional right, safeguarding the employment of the poor and marginalized sections. At the CWC meeting, he said, “While keeping full faith in the Constitution and Indian democracy, we will protect the MGNREGA, the rights of India’s workers and take our voice to every last village. People are angry over the repeal of MGNREGA, and the government will have to face the consequences.”

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, went further by likening the repeal to the 2016 demonetisation decision, claiming that the move had been executed unilaterally by Prime Minister Modi, without consulting his Cabinet or conducting proper assessments. “The prime minister single-handedly destroyed MGNREGA without asking his Cabinet, and without studying the matter,” Gandhi asserted during the CWC meet. He described the repeal as a “devastating attack on states and poor people” and argued that it undermines India’s federal structure by centralizing control over rural employment schemes.

In a subsequent social media post in Hindi, Gandhi alleged, “There is only one purpose behind the end of MGNREGA — to erase the right to employment for the poor, to steal economic and political power from the states, and to hand over that money to billionaire friends. The entire country will bear the cost of the whims of the ‘lone ranger’ Prime Minister. Jobs will end, and the rural economy will collapse. When villages weaken, the country will weaken.” He further warned that the move would inflict “tremendous pain on weaker sections, Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, poor general castes, and minorities”, while allegedly benefiting corporate interests, particularly citing Adani as a primary beneficiary.

BJP Responds: Congress “Sheds Crocodile Tears”

Hours after the Congress press conference, Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan hit back, accusing the grand old party of political posturing and hypocrisy. He argued that Congress leaders had themselves undermined MGNREGA during their tenure by freezing wages and reducing budgets, while only now expressing outrage.

Chouhan said in a post on social media platform X, “This is the same Congress that appended Mahatma Gandhi’s name for electoral gains. This is the same Congress that, from time to time, reduced the budget for MGNREGA. This is the same Congress that froze wages. Today, Congress leaders are shedding crocodile tears.” He added that the new legislation, far from dismantling employment guarantees, introduces reforms focusing on technology, transparency, and timely payments, ensuring that wages are directly credited into the accounts of rural workers.

The minister insisted that portraying the new framework as an attack on the rural economy was misleading, emphasizing that VB-G RAM G is designed to strengthen employment and livelihood support in rural areas. According to Chouhan, the Congress party’s criticism ignores the benefits of the reforms, which aim to modernize the scheme and make it more efficient while preventing corruption and delays in wage distribution.

MGNREGA: A Brief Context

Launched in 2005 under the UPA government, MGNREGA was designed as a 20-year-old flagship social security program, guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households willing to do unskilled manual work. Over the years, the program became a lifeline for millions of rural poor, particularly in times of crop failure, drought, or economic distress. It also contributed to rural infrastructure development, as workers engaged in projects such as water conservation, roads, and public works.

Despite its popularity, MGNREGA has faced criticism for implementation issues, including delayed wage payments, insufficient monitoring, and misuse of funds in certain regions. The central government has repeatedly sought reforms to address these challenges, culminating in the passage of the VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces the old framework while incorporating technological and administrative updates.

Congress Nationwide Campaign

As part of the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’, Congress leaders announced plans to mobilize workers, farmers, and villagers to protest the repeal of MGNREGA. The campaign will include rallies, demonstrations, and public meetingsacross states, mirroring the nationwide mobilization that successfully challenged the three farm laws in 2020.

The Congress has positioned the campaign not merely as a defense of a rural employment program but as a symbolic struggle for the rights of the poor, marginalized communities, and state autonomy in implementing social welfare schemes. Party leaders have vowed to take the message to every village, emphasizing that the scheme is crucial for economic and social empowerment in rural India.

Political Implications

The repeal of MGNREGA and its replacement with VB-G RAM G has emerged as a key point of political contention, especially ahead of upcoming elections in several states. Opposition parties argue that the government’s unilateral approach reflects a disregard for federal principles and democratic consultation, while the BJP maintains that the reforms aim to modernize the rural employment system and enhance efficiency.

Rahul Gandhi’s comparisons with demonetisation seek to highlight the perceived negative impact on ordinary citizensdue to abrupt policy changes, underscoring the potential political costs for the ruling party. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have countered that Congress’s criticisms are self-serving and politically motivated, pointing out the party’s historical lapses in fully funding and implementing MGNREGA during its tenure.

Conclusion

The clash between Congress and the BJP over MGNREGA has set the stage for a high-decibel political confrontation in the coming months. While Congress plans nationwide protests to defend the employment rights of rural workers, the government insists that reforms under VB-G RAM G will strengthen the scheme through technology, transparency, and timely payments.

As the January 5 nationwide agitation approaches, the debate over MGNREGA’s repeal highlights broader concerns over rural livelihoods, federalism, social welfare, and political accountability. Millions of rural workers, party leaders, and political observers alike will be closely watching the unfolding developments, which could have significant implications for India’s rural economy and the political landscape in 2026.