Sonia Gandhi further added, "A legal right to employment was provided, and along with it, gram panchayats were empowered."
Published Dec 20, 2025 | 5:39 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 20, 2025 | 5:39 PM
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Criticising the BJP-led NDA government, Sonia Gandhi said, “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 during the COVID times, it proved to be a lifeline for the poor.”
Two days after the BJP-led NDA government pushed through the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G Ram G Bill), which seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, released a video message criticising the ruling government for bulldozing MGNREGA.
Recalling MGNREGA, one of the Congress-led UPA’s flagship welfare schemes, as a revolutionary act that benefitted crores of rural families, Sonia Gandhi noted, “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. Especially, it became a means of livelihood for the deprived, exploited, poor, and the poorest of the poor.”
Further emphasising that the scheme had helped halt migration in search of employment, the Congress leader said, “A legal right to employment was provided, and along with it, gram panchayats were empowered. Through MGNREGA, a concrete step was taken toward realizing the dream of an India based on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj.”
Criticising the BJP-led NDA government, Gandhi said, “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 during the COVID times, it proved to be a lifeline for the poor.”
“But it is a matter of great regret that 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.”
“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,” she further added.
Calling the scheme, one of national interest, Sonia Gandhi added, “The Congress had a major role in bringing and implementing MGNREGA, but it was never a party-specific matter. It was a scheme connected to the national interest and the people’s interest. By weakening this law, the Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, laborers, and landless poor in the rural sector across the country.”
“We are all ready to counter this attack. Twenty years ago, I too fought to secure the right to employment for our poor brothers and sisters; today, I remain committed to fighting against this black law. All Congress leaders like me and lakhs of workers stand with you,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
भाई और बहनों.. नमस्कार
मुझे आज भी याद है, 20 साल पहले डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी प्रधानमंत्री थे, तब संसद में मनरेगा कानून आम राय से पास किया गया था। यह ऐसा क्रांतिकारी कदम था, जिसका फायदा करोड़ों ग्रामीण परिवारों को मिला था। खासतौर पर वंचित, शोषित, गरीब और अतिगरीब लोगों के लिए… pic.twitter.com/mjH4CfYRVe
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 20, 2025
The Bill was tabled by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day soon after the Bill was passed.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI(M), the CPI, the DMK and the Trinamool Congress, have denounced the move, warning that it would weaken employment guarantees for rural workers and shift the financial burden on to State governments.
The VB-G Ram G Bill seeks to replace the MGNREGA framework, under which the Union government bore the full cost of wages for unskilled manual work, up to three-fourths of material costs, and three-fourths of wages for skilled and semi-skilled workers.
While the new law states that the scheme implemented under it shall be a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, it places 40% of the financial burden on State governments.
Under the proposed framework, the Union government will identify the rural areas in the States where the scheme will be implemented, while State governments will be responsible for providing 125 days of guaranteed employment.
The Bill also introduces a provision allowing the employment guarantee to be paused during peak agricultural seasons. According to the legislation, States must notify in advance a period of 60 days in a financial year covering peak agricultural seasons during which work under the Act will not be undertaken.
The Bill also changes the wage payment schedule, mandating that wages be paid every week, unlike MGNREGS, which allows a 15-day limit.
