"BJP ending right to work given by Sonia, Manmohan": Rajasthan Congress Chief

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], January 1 (ANI): Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra on Thursday slammed the new Viksit Bharat--Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G)act, accusing the BJP of dismantling MGNREGA, the rural job guarantee pioneered by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
Dotasra alleged that the Centre will now decide that work will be given in places where the BJP is in power.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "The right to work was given by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. Today, they (the BJP) are ending it. They are not just changing the name; they are not just removing Mahatma Gandhi's name... but they are ending that law which guaranteed work... now the central government will decide that work will be given only where BJP is in power, where BJP's MLA is, and even then the state government will contribute 40%..."
Earlier, Indian National Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the party will launch a nationwide 'Save MNREGA' campaign from January 5, making the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) the central focus of a mass movement.
Speaking to the media, Kharge said that party leaders took an oath during the meeting to protect MNREGA and oppose any attempt to weaken or alter the scheme.
"In the meeting, we took an oath. We decided to launch a massive movement across the country, making the MNREGA scheme the central point. Indian National Congress party, taking a leading role, will launch the MNREGA Save Campaign from January 5th," Kharge said.
Emphasising the importance of the scheme, the Congress chief said MNREGA is not merely a welfare programme but a constitutional right.
"We will protect the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) at all costs. MNREGA is not just a scheme but a right to work guaranteed by the Constitution of India. We also pledge to democratically oppose every conspiracy to remove Gandhiji's name from MNREGA," he added.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Viksit Bharat--Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the transformation of rural employment policy.
The Act enhances the statutory wage employment guarantee to 125 days per financial year for rural households. It seeks to advance empowerment, inclusive growth, convergence of development initiatives and saturation-based delivery, thereby strengthening the foundation for a prosperous, resilient and self-reliant Rural Bharat.
The Act replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a modern statutory framework that enhances livelihood security and is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. (ANI)