The Congress party has announced a nationwide protest campaign against the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM-G) Act, set to begin on 10 January 2026 and continue until 25 February 2026.
The party is demanding the withdrawal of the new Act and the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as a rights-based law. The campaign will include district-level press conferences, fasts, panchayat-level meetings, and state-level rallies.
According to The Hindu, Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh stated that the VB-GRAM-G Act centralises employment decisions, removing the right to work and diminishing the authority of panchayats. The party plans to challenge the Act in court and consult with opposition-ruled states to coordinate further action.
As reported by Deccan Herald, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the Act as an attack on the constitutional rights of workers and panchayats. He emphasised that the party’s demand is for the complete withdrawal of the VB-GRAM-G Act and the restoration of MGNREGA, not just amendments. The protest will be decentralised, with activities planned from the panchayat to the state level.
As highlighted by The News Minute, Congress leaders allege that the new law “silently kills” MGNREGA by removing the legal guarantee of work and introducing budget caps. The party claims that the Act violates Article 258 of the Constitution, as the funding formula was decided without consultation with state governments. The campaign, titled ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’, will include legal challenges if necessary.
This report noted, senior BJP leaders have criticised the Congress protests, calling them politically motivated and accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation about the scheme. BJP representatives argue that the VB-GRAM-G scheme increases guaranteed employment days and introduces reforms for transparency and accountability.
The Congress has outlined a detailed schedule for the protest, beginning with preparatory meetings on 8 January, followed by district-level press conferences on 10 January and a day-long fast on 11 January. As this report noted, panchayat-level chaupals and mass contact programmes will be held from 12 to 29 January, with ward-level sit-ins on 30 January. State-level gheraos and major rallies are scheduled for February.
“Our clear demand is to withdraw the VB GRAM G Act and restore MGNREGA in its original, rights-based form, restoring people’s right to work and the authority of the panchayats,” K C Venugopal said.
The Congress leadership has also stated that the new law imposes a 60:40 funding split between the Centre and the states, which they argue was decided unilaterally. This article added, opposition parties are being consulted to coordinate resistance, and the party is prepared to explore all legal and political avenues to oppose the Act.
Jairam Ramesh has drawn parallels between the current agitation and the previous farmers’ protests, stating that the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram will be decentralised and not limited to Delhi. Mentioned in this report, the Congress asserts that the new law undermines rural employment and the decentralised nature of the original MGNREGA scheme.
“In this new law, it is not Viksit Bharat, it is Vinash Bharat. We demand MNREGA be brought back, and rural India be saved,” Jairam Ramesh said.
The VB-GRAM-G Act was passed in Parliament on 18 December 2025 and received presidential assent on 21 December 2025. This report highlighted, the scheme increases the number of guaranteed employment days to 125 and introduces digital monitoring mechanisms, but opposition parties maintain that the changes undermine the rights and protections previously guaranteed under MGNREGA.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.