On Saturday, Congress members in Shivamogga protested against the new VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces MGNREGA. The protest, held in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office, was organized by the District Congress Committee. Protesters praised MGNREGA, launched by the UPA under Manmohan Singh, for providing 100 days of work annually to rural families and supporting asset creation and plantations. Under MGNREGA, local bodies like gram panchayats and gram sabhas controlled action plans, and job-card holders could ask for work anytime. However, the new act shifts control to the Union government’s master plan, reducing local power and federal structure. Protesters called this move a "surgical strike on the concept of decentralisation of power and the federal structure." They also highlighted that the new act includes a 60-day pause during which no work will be given to job-card holders. Congress leaders, led by DCC president R. Prasanna Kumar, submitted a memorandum to the President and Deputy Commissioner urging the government to withdraw the changes and keep the old act.