Centre will have to bow down, reinstate MGNREGA: Baghel at Ludhiana rally

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Friday the Bharatiya Janata Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre will have to bow down and bring back the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, just like it was forced to withdraw the three farm laws.

Baghel, also the Congress’ Punjab in-charge, was addressing the party “Save MGNREGA” rally.

In the run up to the 2027 Assembly elections, the Congress on Friday organised mega rallies at Mullanpur Dakha and Raikot. People in large numbers attended the rallies.

Baghel was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa.

Lashing out at the BJP government, the Congress leaders said it Centre for trying to “snatch” away the livelihood of the poor. They condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for “failing to take remedial measures” at the local level.

Congress leaders expressed grave concern over what they said was deteriorating law and order in the state. They said currently, there was “complete anarchy and gangsters were ruling the roost”, alleging that the police was working in collusion with the anti-social elements.

Baghel assured the attendees that the Congress will restore MGNREGA at all costs, exuding confidence that the grand old party will form government in Punjab in 2027.

The former Chhattisgarh CM said MGNREGA will be restored once Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister.

Warring alleged that Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was trying to snatch away the livelihood of the poor. He pointed out that the Congress government, with Manmohan Singh at the helm, had introduced the law to provide livelihood to the poor and the marginalised.

Hitting out at the AAP, Warring allege they were just indulged in “lip service”, and were not taking any concrete steps to resolve the situation.

He argued that till the MGNREGA is restored, the state government should have provided some sort of interim relief to the people.

He claimed the Punjab government was the worst-performing one in implementing the MGNREGA, alleging that less than 12 per cent people were given the required number of mandatory workdays.

Warring cautioned people, particularly women, against the promises by the AAP, pointing out how they had been cheated with a fake promise of Rs 1,000 every month.

Lashing out at the saffron party, Bajwa said it was undermining the rights of both, soldiers and farmers. “The recruitments in defence services were hit and farmers were slapped with black laws. Now, MGNREGA workers were being denied their livelihood,” Bajwa said, demanding that the Centre waives off farmers’ loans.

Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa lashed out at the AAP government for what he said was a collapse of law and order in the state. He alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was the “most corrupt and most cowardly” CM.

Former Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh demanded the restoration of MGNREGA, alleging the BJP government had snatched away the right to work of the poor.