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NEW DELHI: Congress leaders, including its Media & Publicity Department Chairman, Pawan Khera, MP Jairam Ramesh and Delhi President Devender Yadav, held ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ protest in the national capital against the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025.
The Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as India’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme.
Pawan Khera said that a government that insults workers and farmers will not last long.
Khera told reporters, “Such peaceful protests are being held in the capitals of all states. Saving NREGA means saving the voice of the worker. In this country, any government that has insulted the worker and the farmer has not lasted long.”
Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav alleged that police officers stopped the party leaders from carrying out the protest.
“As we were peacefully carrying forward this campaign, thousands of police officers stopped us here. But I want to warn the Modi government that they will not be able to break our resolve in any way,” Yadav said.
In Kerala, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal accused the Centre of wanting to take away the rights of the citizens.
Venugopal said, “Earlier, they took away the right of employment through the new MNREGA bill. Again, the economic survey points out that the right to information, one of the most effective rights for the common man in this country, is useless. Intention is very clear. They want to take away all the rights of the common people of this country, which cannot be accepted.”
When asked about the Union Budget 2026 expectations, he added, “What exactly they are giving to the people of India is already evident through the MNREGA bill change and their attitude towards right to information. The Modi government thinks that everything they are giving is through their mercy.”
The Congress protest coincides with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The party has opposed the VB-G RAM G Act as it removed Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, and the law seeks a 60:40 fund share between the Centre and states, rather than the employment guarantee being fully funded by the Central government.
The new legislation extends the 100-day employment guarantee to 125 days.(Agencies)
