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VB-G RAM G direct assault on the poorest of the poor: Baghel
The Punjab Congress in-charge was speaking after the launch of Congress’ state-wide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’
Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said the BJP government’s decision to dismantle the MGNREGA was not just administrative sabotage, but a direct assault on the poorest of the poor.
He was speaking after the launch of Congress’ “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” in Punjab. The state-wide agitation is part of the Congress’ nationwide movement against the scrapping of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and its replacement with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission–Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Act.
Speaking at the Gurdaspur rally, alongside top Congress leaders, Baghel said the campaign marked the beginning of a decisive people’s movement to protect the rights and dignity of rural labourers, farmers and marginalised communities.
He said the MGNREGA scheme — conceptualised and implemented by the Congress government under Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh — had become a global milestone in social welfare and rural empowerment.
Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said, “The Congress stands firmly with the poor, workers and farmers and will not allow anyone to snatch the bread from the plate of the poor. We are ready to fight on every front to protect MNGREGA”.
Senior Congress leader Pargat Singh lauded the spontaneous support from thousands of workers and villagers, calling it a clear message that “Punjab will not stay silent while the rural poor are robbed of dignity and livelihood”.
He reaffirmed that under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress will continue the agitation till the Central government restores MGNREGA and withdraws the VB-G RAM G law.
Criticising the AAP government, MLA Pargat Singh said it had proved to be the “B-team of the BJP”, failing to provide even 10% of the state’s required contribution to the scheme. “AAP is only good at press conferences and hollow resolutions. When it comes to allocating funds for jobs and rural welfare, its commitment evaporates,” he remarked.
Reaffirming Congress’s resolve, Pargat Singh said, “Just as we forced the government to repeal the three black farm laws, we will compel them to restore MGNREGA. The Congress started this fight for the dignity of labour — and we will finish it with the people’s victory.”
The rally witnessed strong participation from PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and several other senior leaders, MLAs, MPs, and party workers from across the state.
The Congress also held a rally in Tanda, where Warring said MGNREGA was started by the Dr Manmohan Singh-led Congress government to fill the rich-poor gap as it felt that the economic inequality could lead to social unrest, but the present government had attempted to withdraw the economic security from the poor families.
Under the new law the workers would not have the right to demand work but the Centre would decide the conditions, he added. He expressed concern at the newly set contribution ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and the states, stating that the states would not be able to contribute their part. Non-implementation of the job guarantee scheme would adversely affect rural development, he added.
