‘MGNREGA bachao abhiyan’: Congress announces nationwide protest on Jan 5 against VB-G RAM G Act

Congress on December 27 announced a nationwide protest campaign titled ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’, scheduled to begin on January 5, 2026, against the Centre’s decision to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with a new rural jobs framework.  

The announcement was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge following a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in New Delhi. Kharge said state units and party workers have been directed to mobilise across the country in the run-up to the campaign, which will involve public outreach programmes, rallies and other forms of protest.  

The move comes after Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Act), which repeals MGNREGA and introduces a restructured statutory framework for rural employment and livelihood security. The government has said the new law aims to guarantee 125 days of wage employment to rural households under revised modalities.  

However, the Congress has strongly opposed the legislation, arguing that it dilutes the demand-driven and legally enforceable nature of employment guarantees that existed under MGNREGA. Kharge described MGNREGA as a “visionary legislation” introduced during the UPA government and said it was globally recognised for its impact on rural livelihoods. He added that the scheme was named after Mahatma Gandhi due to its transformative role in rural India.  

MGNREGA, enacted in 2005, was widely regarded as the world’s largest employment guarantee programme, providing rural households with a legal entitlement to at least 100 days of unskilled wage employment every year.  

Ahead of the formal launch of the campaign, Congress leaders have instructed state units to mobilise party workers, elected representatives and affiliated organisations to participate in gram sabha meetings convened under government schedules to explain the party’s opposition to the new law.  

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would resist the VB-G RAM G Act, asserting that it undermines the rights of states and vulnerable sections. “We are going to resist it, fight it. I am confident the entire Opposition will be aligned against this action,” he said, according to PTI.  

Calling the repeal of MGNREGA a “devastating attack” on the poor, Gandhi compared the move to demonetisation, alleging it was carried out “single-handedly” by the Prime Minister. The Congress has maintained that the new law weakens rights-based entitlements that previously ensured job security for millions of rural households.