Assembly gherao to panchayat outreach: Cong’s VB-G RAM G protest from Jan 10

AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal flag­ged that under the VB-G RAM G Act, employment is no longer a right and will only be provided in panchayats notified by the Centre. “The MGNREGA (enact­ed during the UPA regime) was the most decentralised scheme but now everything will be decided by Delhi and villages will suffer,” said Venugopal. He termed Centre’s claim that workdays will increase under the new law “bogus” and “false”.

In a post on X, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said, “MGNREGA is not a charity. It is a legal guarantee. Crores of the poorest people got work in their own villages; MGNREGA reduced hunger and distress migration, raised rural wages, and strengthened women’s economic dignity. VB-G RAM G is designed to dismantle this right.”

“Budgets will be capped, so work ends when money ends, even during a crisis, and Delhi will decide on funds and works, pushing the gram sabhas and panchayats into irrelevance,” he claimed. “Attacking MGNREGA is like attacking crores of workers and their constitutional rights. We will resist, peacefully and firmly, from every panchayat to Parliament,” Kharge said in his post.

First, state-level preparation meetings will be held on January 8 across the country where state leadership will be briefed on implications of the new job guarantee law and district-wise responsibilities will be decided, Venugopal said.

This will be followed by district-level press conferences on January 10 to “formally launch the campaign at the district-level”, he said.

On January 11, a one-day fast will be observed at the party’s district headquarters and prominent public places during which leaders, elected representatives, and MGNREGA workers will take part, he said.

From January 12-29, panchayat-level outreach will be done, during which “letters from the Congress president and Leader of Opposition (Rahul Gandhi) will be delivered to gram pradhans, former gram pradhans, rozgar sevaks, and MGNREGA workers”, said Venugopal. Simultaneously, Vidhan Sabha-level nukkad sabhas and pamphlet distribution shall be undertaken, he added.

On January 30, 2026, peaceful sit-ins will be organised at ward- and block-levels.

From January 31 to February 6, district-level “MGNREGA Bachao Dharna” will be held, he said. From February 7-15, protests and gherao of Vidhan Sabhas will be organised by the party’s state leadership. From February 16-25, zonal AICC rallies will be held. “Four major zonal rallies will be organised by the AICC before the first phase culminates,” said Venugopal.