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New Delhi :  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led BJP government of pursuing the same intent in seeking to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as it did while enacting the now-repealed “three black farm laws.” Addressing the National MGNREGA Workers’ Convention organised by the Rachnatmak Congress, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha called upon poor and marginalised workers to unite against the proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act.

Gandhi underlined that MGNREGA was conceived as a rights-based programme intended to provide employment security to rural households. “The idea was simple—to guarantee work to those who need it, through the third tier of governance, the Panchayati Raj institutions. The word ‘rights’ is central to MGNREGA. Every poor person has a right to work under this law, and the Modi government wants to end that very concept,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the farmers’ agitation, Gandhi recalled that the Centre had been forced to repeal the three farm laws after sustained, united pressure from farmers and opposition parties. “When the government tried to impose the three black farm laws, farmers resisted and all of us stood together. Ultimately, the laws were withdrawn. Today, the same approach is being adopted against workers,” he alleged.

According to Gandhi, the proposed new legislation would centralise decision-making by allowing the Union government to determine the nature of work and allocation of funds, with BJP-ruled states receiving preferential treatment. “What earlier went directly to workers will now be diverted to contractors and the bureaucracy,” he claimed, warning that such a shift would undermine decentralisation and erode the authority of gram panchayats.

Launching a sharp political attack, the Congress leader alleged that the BJP’s economic model was designed to concentrate assets in the hands of a few corporate interests, forcing people with low incomes into dependency. “They want an India where wealth and power are monopolised, where ordinary people are dependent on big corporates like Adani Group and Reliance Industries. This is not a democracy—it is an India where the ‘king’ decides everything,” Gandhi charged.

In a lighter moment, Gandhi remarked that he could not even recall the exact name of the proposed law and turned to the audience for help, drawing laughter from the gathering.

Workers from across the country attended the convention, each carrying a fistful of soil from their respective work sites. The soil was ceremonially placed around saplings in the presence of Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, symbolising the dignity of labour and the grassroots nature of MGNREGA.

The Congress also formally launched the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’, a 45-day nationwide campaign that began on January 10, to oppose any move to dilute or repeal the UPA-era employment guarantee law. The party is demanding the immediate withdrawal of the VB-G RAM G Act and the restoration of MGNREGA in its original form—as a rights-based programme guaranteeing employment, strengthening panchayats, and ensuring accountability to rural workers.