New Delhi

Slamming the Centre over the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act recently passed in Parliament, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi termed it a "devastating attack" on states and the poor people, "much like the demonetisation."

Speaking at a press briefing after the Congress Working Committee meeting, he argued that the move diverts funds and decision-making authority that rightfully belong to the states.

He further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "single-handedly" dismantled the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), without consulting the Cabinet, much like the demonetisation.

"This has been destroyed single-handedly by the Prime Minister without asking his Cabinet, without studying the matter. This is an attack on the states of India because they are simply taking away money that belongs to the state, decision-making power that belongs to the state. This is an attack on the infrastructure of those states because MNREGA used to build infrastructure... So it is a devastating attack on the states, on poor people of this country, and it is carried out by the Prime Minister single-handedly, much like demonetisation was," Gandhi said.

On November 8, 2016, PM Modi announced demonetisation, invalidating Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes by removing their legal tender status to combat black money, counterfeit currency, and terrorist financing, while aiming to boost digital payments and formalise the economy.

The Congress MP described the previous MGNREGA Act as far more than a mere employment scheme, calling it a transformative conceptual and developmental framework that has earned global recognition.

Gandhi also echoed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's earlier remarks, noting that MGNREGA had been widely appreciated internationally. He said Kharge had visited 16 countries, and in each, leaders and policymakers praised India for introducing a unique, rights-based development model through the Act.

"MNREGA is just not a work program. It is a conceptual framework, a development framework, that, by the way, has been appreciated across the world. Kharge ji mentioned that he visited 16 countries and every single country where he went appreciated the fact that our government had come out with an entirely new development rights-based concept," Gandhi said.

Earlier on Saturday, after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Kharge announced that the party will launch a nationwide 'Save MNREGA' campaign from January 5, making the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) the central focus of a mass movement.

Speaking to the media, Kharge said that party leaders took an oath during the meeting to protect MNREGA and oppose any attempt to weaken or alter the scheme.

"In the meeting, we took an oath. We decided to launch a massive movement across the country, making the MNREGA scheme the central point. Indian National Congress party, taking a leading role, will launch the MNREGA Save Campaign from January 5th," Kharge said.

Emphasising the importance of the scheme, the Congress chief said MNREGA is not merely a welfare programme but a constitutional right. "We will protect the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) at all costs. MNREGA is not just a scheme but a right to work guaranteed by the Constitution of India. We also pledge to democratically oppose every conspiracy to remove Gandhiji's name from MNREGA," he added.

The remarks came after President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave assent to the Viksit Bharat--Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the transformation of rural employment policy, as per a release by the President's Secretariat.

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The Act enhances the statutory wage employment guarantee to 125 days per financial year for rural households. It seeks to advance empowerment, inclusive growth, convergence of development initiatives and saturation-based delivery, thereby strengthening the foundation for a prosperous, resilient and self-reliant Rural Bharat.

The Act replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a modern statutory framework that enhances livelihood security and is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.