New Delhi, Dec 27 (NationPress) The Congress party has launched a strong opposition against the Central government's recent decision to replace the revered Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G). Following a significant Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held here on Saturday, party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced an extensive nationwide 'Save MGNREGA Campaign' set to kick off on January 5, 2026, framing it as a crucial fight to uphold the constitutional right to work for millions of rural citizens.

Senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reiterated this commitment on social media, sharing a clip from the press briefing: "During today's CWC meeting, we committed to launching a major movement focused on MGNREGA. The Indian National Congress will initiate the 'Save MGNREGA Campaign' on January 5. This represents the constitutional right to work for villagers and laborers—we will defend it at all costs. Jai Constitution, Jai Hind!"

Earlier in the day, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking to the media alongside Rahul Gandhi, criticized the new legislation as an attack on the impoverished, federalism, and the legacy of Gandhi. He emphasized how the UPA-era MGNREGA, spearheaded by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, transformed Directive Principles into enforceable rights, empowering Dalits, Adivasis, women, and marginalized groups.

"It prevented migration, developed infrastructure, protected the environment, and supported countless individuals during the COVID crisis—had MGNREGA not been in place, many would have suffered greatly," he stated.

Denouncing the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name, Kharge labeled it an "insult" and an ideological attack. "They can't stand Gandhi's name due to his surname—they're even targeting that," he remarked. He drew comparisons to the successful farmers' protest against controversial laws, forecasting similar public outrage regarding a shifted funding model (now a 60:40 Centre-State ratio, placing heavier burdens on states) and unilateral decisions made without stakeholder involvement.

Rahul Gandhi described the overhaul as a "devastating, unilateral strike by the Prime Minister, similar to demonetisation," which dismantles demand-driven employment, decentralized panchayat authority, and wage assurances. "It adversely affects states, infrastructure, laborers, and the vulnerable—while serving a select few," he asserted.

The CWC unanimously vowed to combat the "conspiracy to convert rights into charity," chanting slogans of "Jai Samvidhan—Jai Hind." Kharge referenced international recognition and even government acknowledgments, including a NITI Aayog report praising MGNREGA's lasting assets. With opposition unity guaranteed, the Congress plans to rally support from villages nationwide, framing the campaign as a defense of democracy's grassroots and rural dignity against central overreach.