Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 20: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised the BJP-led Centre over the recently passed VB–G Ram G Bill, alleging that the government had “bulldozed” the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by arbitrarily altering its structure and removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name, despite stiff opposition protests.
In a video message shared on the Congress party’s X handle, Sonia Gandhi said it was “a matter of great regret” that the decades-old MGNREGA had been replaced without any deliberation or consultation.
“…just recently, the government ran a bulldozer over MGNREGA. Not only was Mahatma Gandhi’s name removed, but the form and structure of MGNREGA was changed arbitrarily—without any deliberation, without consulting anyone, without taking the opposition into confidence,” she said.
She further alleged that the new law centralises decision-making. “Now, who gets how much employment, where, and in what manner will be decided by the government sitting in Delhi, far removed from ground realities,” Sonia Gandhi added.
The Centre last week introduced and passed the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB–G Ram G Bill) in Parliament amid relentless protests from Opposition parties. The legislation replaces MGNREGA and brings in key changes, including increasing the states’ funding share to 40 per cent and enhancing guaranteed wage employment for rural households from 100 to 125 days in a financial year.
Recalling the enactment of MGNREGA during the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi described the scheme as a “revolutionary step” that benefited crores of rural families.
“I still remember vividly, 20 years ago when Dr Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister, the MGNREGA Act was passed in Parliament by consensus. It was such a revolutionary step, the benefits of which reached crores of rural families,” she said.
She noted that the scheme helped curb migration in search of work and empowered gram panchayats by providing a legal right to employment. “A concrete step was taken towards realising the dream of an India based on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj,” she added.
The veteran Congress leader also alleged that the BJP-led government had been attempting to weaken MGNREGA over the past decade. “In the last 11 years, the Modi government has ignored the interests of the unemployed, the poor and the deprived in rural areas, making every effort to weaken MGNREGA, even though it proved to be a lifeline for the poor during the COVID period,” she said.
Emphasising that MGNREGA was never a party-specific initiative, Sonia Gandhi said it was linked to national and public interest. “By weakening this law, the Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers and landless poor across the country,” she alleged.
She concluded by asserting that the Congress would continue to oppose what she termed a “black law.” “Twenty years ago, I fought to secure the right to employment for the poor; today, I remain committed to fighting against this black law. All Congress leaders and lakhs of workers stand with the people,” she said.