Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, spearheaded a significant demonstration in Rohtak on Sunday. The protest was directed against the perceived dilution of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) by the central government.
Hooda Accuses BJP of Attacking Rights of the Vulnerable
Addressing the gathered crowd, Hooda launched a sharp critique of the recent modifications to the rural job guarantee scheme. He asserted that the BJP government has systematically attacked the rights of dalits, backward classes, the poor, villagers, and panchayats through these changes. The Congress leader declared that his party stands firmly with MNREGA workers and is running a nationwide campaign to protect their employment.
Hooda claimed that the weakening of MNREGA began as soon as the BJP came to power at the Centre. He cited parliamentary data to bolster his argument. "An answer to a question asked by the Congress in Parliament revealed that more than 8 lakh MNREGA workers were registered in Haryana. But in 2024-25, the government provided 100 days of work to only 2100 families," Hooda stated.
Allegations of Scheme's Effective End in Haryana
The senior Congress leader accused the state and central governments of failing to fulfill the scheme's mandate. "The government neither provided work to the labourers nor gave them compensation as per the provisions of the scheme," he charged. Hooda interpreted this data as evidence that the BJP has effectively ended MNREGA in Haryana.
"This means that the BJP effectively ended this scheme in Haryana. Now, along with changing the name, the very existence of this scheme was wiped out," Hooda alleged. He vowed that the Congress would oppose this decision at every level and force the government to withdraw what he termed an "anti-people decision."
Congress Defends Its Legacy, Highlights Budget Changes
Hooda reminded the audience that MNREGA was introduced by the previous Congress-led government with the aim of furthering Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Gram Swaraj (village self-rule). He explained the original intent and funding mechanism of the program.
"The budget for this scheme was determined based on demand, and there was no limit to the budget under this law. All the states and districts were required to provide work to all those who demanded it," he noted. Hooda highlighted a critical shift in the funding pattern, which he claims has crippled the scheme.
"It was the responsibility of the central government to release the budget for all these workers, but now that budget was divided between the central and state governments in such a way that its allocation became difficult," he concluded, pointing to the structural changes that have hampered implementation.
The protest in Rohtak signals a renewed political confrontation over a key welfare scheme, setting the stage for further agitation as the Congress mobilizes against the central government's policies on rural employment.
