Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has unleashed a scathing critique of the Narendra Modi-led government following the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill in Parliament. He accused the administration of systematically dismantling the foundational principles of the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), asserting that the move severely weakens the rights of rural workers across India.
A Direct Attack on Social Security
In a strongly-worded post on social media platform X, Gandhi declared that the government had effectively "demolished twenty years of MGNREGA in one day." He argued that the newly passed legislation should not be seen as a reform or revamp of the seminal rural jobs scheme. Instead, he framed it as a deliberate rollback of hard-won workers' rights.
"VB-G RAM G isn't a 'revamp' of MGNREGA," Gandhi wrote. He elaborated that the law demolishes the rights-based, demand-driven guarantee that was the hallmark of the original act. According to him, the scheme is being transformed into a rationed programme controlled centrally from Delhi. "It is anti-state and anti-village by design," he charged, highlighting a shift in power dynamics away from local governance.
Erosion of Rural Bargaining Power
Gandhi detailed the significant achievements of MGNREGA since its inception. He credited the scheme with empowering rural workers by giving them bargaining power, reducing their exploitation, and curbing distress migration. Furthermore, it played a crucial role in raising wage levels and improving overall working conditions, all while building critical rural infrastructure assets.
"That leverage is precisely what this government wants to break," he asserted. The opposition leader warned that measures like capping work and introducing new mechanisms to deny employment would critically weaken "the one instrument which the rural poor had" for financial security and dignity.
Impact on Marginalised Communities and Legislative Process
The Congress MP also underscored the scheme's vital role as a social safety net during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. He stated that MGNREGA prevented crores of citizens from falling into hunger and debt, with women being the primary beneficiaries. Gandhi expressed deep concern about the consequences of rationing a jobs programme, predicting that women, Dalits, Adivasis, landless workers, and the poorest OBC communities would be the first to be pushed out.
Adding another layer to his criticism, Gandhi took aim at the legislative process itself. He criticised the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill without referring it to a parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny. He labelled it a law that "rewires the rural social contract" in a fundamental way. Ending his post with a pledge, Gandhi vowed nationwide opposition to the move, stating, "We will not let this government destroy the rural poor's last line of defence."
