NEW DELHI: Raising the battle stakes over MGNREGA with the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday said Congress will force the Modi govt to withdraw the disbanding of the job guarantee scheme, with the party warning that farmers’ protest forced the Centre to roll back the “three black farm laws”. ‘Congress also warned that after MGNREGA, the BJP will target the acts on forest rights, food security and land acquisition, while RTI has already been hollowed out.In comments issued while abroad, Rahul said MGNREGA provided the vulnerable sections with “leverage” and “bargaining power” which brought down “exploitation” and distress migration, while improving wages and working conditions.”That leverage is precisely what this govt wants to break … Prime Minister Modi’s targets are clear: weaken labour, weaken the leverage of rural India, especially Dalits, OBCs and adivasis,” he said, adding the VB-G RAM G will enfeeble the job guarantee that was “rural poor’s last line of defence”, and is “anti-state and anti-village”.Rahul’s statement of intent – he did not participate in the LS debate as he is in Germany for an international political meeting – came as the Congress Working Committee is set to meet on Dec 27, likely to discuss an action plan for a nationwide stir. Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh and Manickam Tagore warned, “Farmers protested and forced the PM to roll back the three farm laws. The CWC will hopefully come out with an action plan on how to raise the issue.”The leader of opposition in Lok Sabha added, “We will stand with workers, panchayats and states to defeat this move and build a nationwide front to ensure this law is withdrawn.”With a joint protest inside the Parliament chambers, the opposition believes the issue can serve as an important outreach to the weaker sections while papering over the divisions that mar the anti-BJP bloc. The opposition members have in recent days spoken about the protests against the land acquisition bill and the farm laws, to argue that weakening of the job scheme structure will have resonance with the poor who have come to depend on MGNREGA. Jairam Ramesh said, “Like the three black farm laws were to impact the farmers, this G Ram G law will hurt the vulnerable sections.”That advocacy groups and NGOs will complement their effort in taking the message to target groups has only bolstered their hope of an effective agitation.
