New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday joined the 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' in the national Capital, as several Congress leaders launched a sharp attack on the Modi government and announced plans to turn the campaign into a nationwide mass movement. The programme saw participation from senior Congress leaders, Members of Parliament, MLAs, representatives of civil society organisations and MGNREGA workers from various states. Speaking to IANS, All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba alleged that the BJP-led central government had launched a “dictatorial” attack on the right to rural employment without consulting state governments, stakeholders associated with MGNREGA or the workers themselves.

She claimed that the scheme had been systematically weakened, alleging that jobs were being taken away from rural workers and that even Mahatma Gandhi’s name had been removed from the programme. “Our top leadership has decided that this will not be taken lightly. We will turn this into a national movement. Our workers are active at the ground level, speaking to villagers across the country, and we will not allow the government to destroy the basic structure of MGNREGA,” Lamba said. Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria said people had gathered in large numbers from different states for the programme. He added that social organisations were also participating and that an important decision would be taken on how to take the struggle forward. “This will be shaped into a mass movement in the coming days,” he said. 

Congress SC Department National Chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam said the party’s effort was to bring together all civil society members who have worked on MGNREGA, as well as the workers associated with the scheme. “Through this collective platform, we will build a mass movement and put pressure on the BJP government to restore MGNREGA. Our struggle will continue until the scheme is fully restored,” he asserted. Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil said the party was preparing for a long-term agitation. “This is not just a one-day programme. It will continue for a long time. We are connecting with every village and inviting MGNREGA workers to join. Today marks the beginning of a nationwide movement, with discussions taking place alongside civil society,” he said.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said the programme was being driven by people directly affected by changes to the scheme. “MGNREGA proved to be a boon during the COVID-19 period. It provided employment and helped people survive during the crisis. The presence of people from different regions with clay pots here shows their unity and determination,” he said. The Congress has formally launched the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ as a nationwide campaign to oppose what it describes as the Modi government’s attack on the world’s largest social welfare programme. The party has alleged that attempts to revoke, rename or replace MGNREGA with the proposed VB-G RAM G Act amount to a direct assault on poor workers and on the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress said Mahatma Gandhi symbolised the dignity of labour, local self-rule and the moral responsibility of the state towards its citizens. Removing his name from the landmark scheme was a deliberate attempt to erase his legacy and vision for India. Enacted by the Congress-led government under then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2005, MGNREGA has served as a lifeline for crores of rural families over the past two decades. Since 2006, the scheme has generated more than 180 crore person-days of employment.

The party further stated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an unplanned lockdown allegedly left millions of workers without livelihoods and forced large-scale migration, MGNREGA emerged as the strongest safety net. During that period, the scheme provided employment to around 4.6 crore families. As part of the movement, the Congress is demanding the immediate restoration of MGNREGA, reinstatement of the constitutional right to work, assurance of timely wages and accountability, and the implementation of an all-India minimum wage of Rs 400.