The new act provides for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers under revised modalities.

Congress to Launch Nationwide Protest Against Modi Government’s MGNREGA Repeal

The Indian National Congress has announced that it will launch a nationwide campaign against the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from January 5, 2026. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said after a meeting of the party’s Working Committee in New Delhi on Saturday that the Narendra Modi government will face public anger over its decision. He further stated that the campaign is aimed at resisting the replacement of long-standing rural employment legislation.

The repeal of the UPA-era MGNREGA came through the passage of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, which is also known as the VB-G RAM G Bill. It was adopted during Parliament’s recently concluded winter session amid strong opposition protests. The new act provides for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers under revised modalities.

Kharge asserted that MGNREGA was more than a welfare scheme; it was the “Right to Work” enshrined in the Constitution, and its removal undermines the rights of rural labourers. Kharge said that the Congress will lead the “MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan” across the country and mobilise party units to highlight the impact of the repeal.

Kharge criticised the shift in cost-sharing provisions between the Centre and states under the new law, calling it a one-sided decision taken without consultation that will place additional financial burdens on states. “This law has been brought to crush the poor,” he said, and vowed to fight the change “on the streets and in Parliament.”

Source: The Tribune