Warring says Cong to launch ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ from Gurdaspur today, criticises AAP govt for poor implementation of scheme in Punjab

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the BJP-led central government for scrapping MGNREGA (Photo/X @RajaBrar_INC)

The Punjab Congress will launch a ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ from Gurdaspur on Thursday, as part of the party’s nationwide movement against replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB G RAM G).

Announcing their agitation on Wednesday, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, “The movement against scrapping of MGNREGA will reach out to every corner of the state right up to the block and village level.”

“The first phase of the ‘MGNRGA Bachao Sangram’ will start in Punjab on January 8 from Gurdaspur and will conclude on March 12, covering nine districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Moga and Ferozepur,” he said.

— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) January 7, 2026

AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will launch the movement in Gurdaspur and attend all programmes across the state.

Warring criticised the BJP-led central government for scrapping MGNREGA, stating the scheme had “improved rural employment and provided livelihood to crores of downtrodden and marginalised people across the country during the last twenty years”.

The Cong chief took a dig at the BJP’s ongoing campaign in Punjab to defend the scrapping of MGNREGA “on the pretext of it not being properly implemented”, stating: “It is a fact that the AAP government miserably failed in implementing MGNREGA in Punjab due to its inefficiency. The AAP tried to wash its hands off from the responsibility by merely holding a token special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, without any intention to do anything on the ground. But it does not mean the scheme should be scrapped.”

Referring to the BJP’s public meetings, Warring recalled, “The BJP leaders and their allies had defended the three controversial farm laws the same way. Eventually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to withdraw those laws by offering an unconditional apology to the farmers.”

Warring said, “The same will happen with MGNREGA also. The BJP government will eventually succumb to mass pressure and withdraw the new law with apologies to crores of Indians being deprived of their livelihood by the BJP government.”