On January 30, 2026, Congress sharply condemned the Modi government for repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Addressing a protest at the Congress headquarters, communication chief Jairam Ramesh said, “The Modi government has scrapped the MGNREGA by running a bulldozer over it.” The protest march began from 24 Akbar Road and aimed to reach Gandhi Smriti but was stopped by Delhi Police. Mr. Ramesh called MGNREGA a "historic and revolutionary" law passed unanimously in 2005 with key roles played by former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He said, “MGNREGA was a constitutional right, providing a legal guarantee of employment to the people. This law strengthened panchayats. For the first time, money was delivered to every family through DBT.” He blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for scrapping the law, saying, "He does not want people to get their rights." Congress media head Pawan Khera said the party will continue to resist the change. “A government that insults the country’s farmers, labourers, and youth cannot remain in power for long. Narendra Modi should understand that his government will have to pay the price for this,” he stated. The new law, the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, passed in December 2025, replaced MGNREGA. Congress says it dilutes the rights-based framework of the original law. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav described the repeal as “a continuous attack on the poor.”