Congress has announced that it will launch a nationwide protest against the centre for replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the VB-G RAM G Act.
The announcement was made by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge during a press conference held after the meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Delhi on Saturday.
“In the CWC meeting, we have taken a resolution to start MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan from 5 January 2026," Kharge said. He said that replacing the scheme named after Mahatma Gandhi is an insult to the father of the nation.
The Indian National Congress party, taking a lead role, will launch the Save MNREGA Campaign from January 5th, he announced.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to replace the act without consulting the concerned minister or the Union Cabinet.
"It’s a devastating attack on states, poor people, carried out by PM single-handedly, much like demonetisation," he said.
Gandhi called the move a “one-man show” and alleged that the new framework would benefit capitalists instead of the poor.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill that replaced the MGNREGA was passed during the recent winter session of the parliament and was approved by President Draupadi Murmu.
Opposition parties argued that the new legislation destroys rights-based welfare for rural workers.