Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary, Congress staged a protest march on January 30 against the Modi government’s move to replace MGNREGA with the newly passed Viksit Bharat-G Ram Ji Act. The party accused the government of running a bulldozer over the historic employment guarantee law.
Protest March Halted by Police
Senior Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, Treasurer Ajay Maken, Delhi in-charge Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin, and Delhi PCC President Devender Yadav, began the “Save MGNREGA Struggle” march from the party’s former headquarters at 24 Akbar Road. However, the police stopped them shortly after it began.
Congress Defends MGNREGA as a Constitutional Right
Jairam Ramesh claimed that MGNREGA, passed unanimously in September 2005, was a revolutionary and historic act that provided constitutional employment rights to the rural poor. He said the scheme empowered panchayats and that its dismantling was an attempt to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
Modi Govt Accused of Disrespecting Farmers and Workers
Congress media head Pawan Khera asserted that the Modi government does not want any law associated with Mahatma Gandhi to remain in force for long. He said the party will strongly oppose the government’s efforts to dismantle rights-based welfare schemes and warned that regimes that insult farmers, workers, and youth don’t last long.
VBG Ram Ji Act Passed in Winter Session
Earlier this winter session, the central government passed the Viksit Bharat-G Ram Ji Bill, replacing MGNREGA with a new framework, a move that Congress strongly opposed as regressive and anti-poor.
