In a significant statewide demonstration, members of the Congress party observed a day-long silent satyagraha and fast across Rajasthan on Sunday. The protest was aimed at voicing strong opposition against the central government's decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the VB G RAM G Act.
Statewide Demonstrations Under 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram'
The main protest in the state capital, Jaipur, was held at the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial. It was spearheaded by key Congress leaders including Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Rajasthan. He was joined by Govind Singh Dotasra, the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) president, and Tikaram Jully, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.
Simultaneously, similar dharnas and fasts were organized by district Congress committees at all district headquarters. These events were part of the party's coordinated campaign named 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' (Save MGNREGA Struggle). To ensure the campaign's effectiveness across the state, the RPCC has formed a special 10-member coordination committee. This committee is headed by former Assembly Speaker C P Joshi.
Allegations of Diluting Rights and Burdening States
Addressing the media during the protest, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra launched a sharp critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government. He alleged that the government has effectively abolished the core principles of MGNREGA by introducing a new framework. Dotasra dismissed the BJP's claims that the Congress was merely objecting to a change in the scheme's name, calling it a misleading narrative.
He outlined three major concerns with the new provisions:
- No Statutory Guarantee: The new act removes the legal guarantee of 100 days of employment, making work contingent on central budgetary allocations.
- Financial Burden on States: States will now be forced to bear 40% of the wage burden, a cost that was previously entirely funded by the Centre.
- Rajasthan's Fiscal Stress: Dotasra claimed the state's financial condition has deteriorated in the two years under the BJP state government, making it difficult to pay salaries, pensions, and scholarships. He argued Rajasthan is in no position to shoulder this additional financial responsibility.
Political Standoff and the Road Ahead
The statewide silent protest marks a major escalation in the Congress's opposition to the central government's changes in the rural employment guarantee scheme. By framing it as a 'satyagraha', the party is invoking Gandhian methods of non-violent resistance, linking the protest to the legacy of the scheme's namesake. The formation of a dedicated coordination committee under a senior leader like C P Joshi indicates that this is not a one-off event but the beginning of a sustained political campaign.
The Congress's core argument is that the changes fundamentally undermine the rights-based architecture of MGNREGA, turning a guaranteed entitlement into a scheme limited by budgets. With Rajasthan being a state with a significant rural population dependent on such work, the party is aiming to make this a central issue. The protest sets the stage for a continued political battle over rural welfare and fiscal federalism in the state.
