Warring slams Centre over MGNREGA renaming, vows nationwide protest
PCC chief terms it as insult to Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central Government over proposed changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that the scheme was being systematically weakened to deprive rural workers of their rights.
Addressing a press conference in Ludhiana, Warring said: “MGNREGA is the backbone of rural development and a lifeline for the poor. The Congress will fight this battle across the country.”
He accused the BJP of attempting to rebrand the scheme under the name of ‘VB-G RAM G’, calling it an insult to the Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.
Warring claimed that the original vision behind MGNREGA, conceived by Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh, was to ensure employment for every section of society.
“Now, the BJP is using religious symbolism and political branding to dilute its purpose,” he said, adding that the scheme’s core provisions, including 100 days of guaranteed work and unemployment allowance, were being eroded.
He cited data from Ludhiana, where out of 1.21 lakh households, only 42 per cent received work under MGNREGA and a mere 1 per cent completed the full 100 days. “It is a direct violation of workers’ rights,” Warring said, blaming both Centre and the AAP-led state government for inaction and mismanagement.
The Congress also raised concerns over reduced powers of gram sabhas, increased administrative interference and the financial burden on states due to the new 60:40 fund-sharing model. Warring announced that the party would begin statewide protests from January 8 in Gurdaspur and would gherao BJP and AAP leaders’ residences.
“MGNREGA is not just a scheme, it keeps the kitchen fire burning in poor households,” he said.
“The BJP is fooling the nation in the name of economic growth while cutting ration cards and employment guarantees,” he said.
