MGNREGA protest: Modi govt wants poor to die hungry, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Modi government of diluting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that its replacement, the VB-GRAMG, is designed to make the poor “die hungry.”

The MGNREGA has been replaced by the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-GRAMG Act, 2025, which seeks to align rural employment with the government’s 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision. While the new law increases the guaranteed number of workdays to 125, it also shifts funding responsibilities to states and links employment to the creation of durable infrastructure.

Gandhi was addressing a chaupal under MGNREGA in his parliamentary constituency of Raebareli as part of the Congress’s nationwide ‘Save MGNREGA’ campaign in opposition to the VB-GRAMG Act.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said the government had struck at the very foundation of the employment guarantee programme.
“MGNREGA is not just a scheme; it is the pride of poor labourers and their legal right to work. We will not allow it to be destroyed at any cost,” he said.

Gandhi alleged that the prime minister wanted the country's wealth to be concentrated in the hands of industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. "On one side, we are protecting the people, while on the other, Narendra Modi is diverting the country's entire wealth to a select few," he claimed.

He stressed that MGNREGA was conceived to empower panchayats and provide employment as a legal guarantee, but alleged that the Modi government was “hell-bent on dismantling” the programme and weakening grassroots institutions.

The chaupal carries political significance as it lies in a BJP-dominated region. Since taking over as Raebareli MP from Sonia Gandhi in 2024, Rahul Gandhi has maintained regular contact with the constituency, visiting it almost every two months. His September 2025 visit, which spanned two days, included DISHA meetings and interactions with local residents.

Earlier in the day, ahead of the closed-door chaupal, Gandhi inaugurated the Raebareli Premier League (RPL) T20 cricket tournament at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, organised by the Youth Sports Academy.

The Congress launched its 45-day MGNREGA protection drive on 10 January, which includes district-level press briefings across Uttar Pradesh, statewide protests between 7 and 15 February, and large public meetings scheduled until 25 February.

At the state level, the Uttar Pradesh Congress has aligned the national campaign with a 100-day village outreach programme involving chaupals, pamphlet distribution, and a renewed demand for a Rs 400 minimum daily wage under MGNREGA.