Bengaluru, Jan 3 (NationPress) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly condemned the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for abolishing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and substituting it with the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) Act. He declared that a nationwide protest will be organized by the party and the Congress-led government in the state.

In a joint press briefing with Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, the Chief Minister accused the new legislation of denying rural workers and panchayats their rights, alleging that these changes are directed by the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"The Congress will tackle this issue, and the Karnataka government will address it concurrently. An immediate national action plan will be developed to determine the necessary steps for both the party and the state government," CM Siddaramaiah stated.

The matter was deliberated during a Cabinet meeting on Friday.

MGNREGA, initiated two decades ago by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ensured numerous rights for the impoverished and common populace, including the right to work.

Nevertheless, MGNREGA has now been repealed, with the Union government introducing the new VB-G RAM G Act.

CM Siddaramaiah proclaimed that just as farmers successfully pressured the Centre to retract the farm laws, a similar campaign will be initiated alongside like-minded political parties and organizations representing the underprivileged.

"This law needs to be revoked. We will persist with protests until the VB-G RAM G Act is nullified," he asserted.

"When MGNREGA was launched, the BJP opposed it. The Right to Food Act was also disparaged by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi when it was introduced in Parliament.

"This isn't a food guarantee; it's merely a vote guarantee," remarked CM Siddaramaiah.

The Chief Minister accused the BJP of achieving little in its 11 years of governance, other than renaming welfare initiatives.

"A total of 30 schemes have been either renamed or repealed. Nirmal Bharat was substituted with Swachh Bharat, Indira Awas Yojana became Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and the Five-Year Plan was replaced by the NITI Aayog.

He claimed that numerous welfare schemes designed to benefit the populace have been weakened or dismantled.

The Chief Minister labeled the decision as "unconstitutional."

Referring to Articles 258 and 280 along with the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, CM Siddaramaiah alleged that the Centre has usurped the powers of the Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats, violating principles of decentralization, federalism, and the Constitution.

He cited the Manusmriti as promoting the notion that women, Shudras, and Dalits should not possess wealth and must live in servitude.

CM Siddaramaiah asserted that the RSS, influenced by such ideologies, is now striving to implement these principles by limiting the rights of the citizens.

He claimed that MGNREGA had assured the right to work for the impoverished, vulnerable groups, women, and small farmers, allowing them to seek employment within their own gram panchayats.

Under the new VB-G RAM G Act, he alleged that employment has shifted from a demand-driven structure to a supply-driven one, with the Centre dictating where and when work will occur.

"The rights of the populace and panchayats have been stripped away. Neither the states nor the citizens were consulted prior to the introduction of this law," the Chief Minister emphasized, urging the Centre to scrap the VB-G RAM G Act and restore MGNREGA along with the right to work and the autonomy of panchayats.

CM Siddaramaiah noted that the new Act would impose an additional financial burden of approximately Rs 3,000 crore on the state government.

Previously, the Centre covered all costs under MGNREGA, but the new legislation requires states to contribute 40 percent of the expenses, effectively converting it into a centrally sponsored scheme.

He mentioned that the VB-G RAM G Act was rushed through Parliament on December 18, 2025, just a day after its introduction, without sufficient discussion.

Citing data, CM Siddaramaiah revealed that MGNREGA supported around 12.16 crore workers nationwide, of which 6.21 crore were women, representing nearly 54 percent of the workforce.

In Karnataka alone, there are 71.18 lakh active MGNREGA workers, including 36.75 lakh women.

CM Siddaramaiah expressed that the repeal of MGNREGA would result in increased unemployment, migration, loss of minimum wage protection, labor exploitation, decreased participation of women, and hardship for Dalit and Adivasi families.

He further claimed that the new legislation undermines decentralization and federalism by restricting the powers of gram sabhas and gram panchayats, contravening constitutional provisions.

On December 30, 2025, he informed that he had sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi opposing the law.

Drawing comparisons with the withdrawal of farm laws after farmers' protests, he indicated that the Congress would initiate a nationwide movement in collaboration with like-minded political parties and organizations until the VB-G RAM G Act is revoked.

Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar emphasized that the matter transcends politics and pertains to the livelihoods of the impoverished.

He questioned the silence of BJP leaders on the issue, noting that even states governed by the BJP would be adversely impacted by the new law.

"We will ensure that, similar to the withdrawal of farm laws, this legislation too will be rescinded," Shivakumar declared, adding that both the state government and Congress would jointly organize a protest regarding the matter.

Present at the event were Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, IT and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge, Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil, State Food Minister K.H. Muniyappa, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar, among others.