Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that the Modi government’s objectives are the same in repealing MGNREGA as they were in bringing the “three black farm laws”, as he urged poor people to unite against the move to bring the VB G RAM G Act.
Addressing the National MGNREGA Workers’ Convention organised by the Rachnatmak Congress, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the concept of MGNREGA was to give rights to the poor.
“The thinking was to provide work to those who need it. This scheme was to be run through the third tier of government – Panchayati Raj. The word rights was important. All poor people had the right to work under MGNREGA and PM Modi-BJP wants to finish that concept,” Gandhi said.
Some years ago they brought in the “three black farm laws” but farmers stopped that after “all of us unitedly put pressure” on the government, the former Congress chief said.“We all put pressure and got the laws repealed. They are doing the same thing with workers that they did with farmers as they brought the three black farm laws,” Gandhi said.
With the new law, the Centre will decide the work and allocation of funds with BJP-ruled governments always getting precedence, he said.
Earlier, what workers used to get will be given to contractors and bureaucracy, Gandhi alleged.
“They (BJP) want assets to be in a few hands so that the poor people are dependent on Adani-Ambani, that is their model of India,” he charged. They want an India where the King decides everything, he said.
Gandhi also said he was unable to remember the name of the new law and asked the audience what it was.
Workers from across the country participated in the convention, bringing a fistful of soil from their work sites that was put in plants as a symbolic gesture in the presence of Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Congress launched ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’, a 45-day nationwide campaign against the repeal of the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), on January 10.
The opposition party is demanding the withdrawal of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based law in its original form, the right to work and the authority of panchayats.