Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Saturday (December 27, 2025) targeted Congress regarding MNREGA. He said that the noise of Congress is only political. Congress had neither intentions nor policies. He said that this is the same Congress, which added the name of Mahatma Gandhi for electoral gains. This is the same Congress, which reduced the budget of MNREGA from time to time. This is the same Congress which froze wages. Today Congressmen are shedding crocodile tears.

The Union Minister shared a post on social media platform X. Shivraj said that today when through technology, transparency and timely payment it is being ensured that the money reaches the accounts of the hardworking people, then Congress sees it as an attack. In this plan it has been decided that decisions will no longer be taken from Delhi but from the village. Gram Panchayats will sit and make their own plans.

Number of days of employment increased from 100 to 125: Shivraj

He said, ‘In this scheme, employment has not been reduced but has been further strengthened. The number of employment days has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. There is a provision for unemployment allowance if work is not received within the stipulated time and if there is a delay in wage payment, there is a provision for additional compensation on delayed payment. It is clear that employment security is not decreasing, but is increasing.

He further said, ‘The rights of Gram Sabha and Panchayat are not weakening, but are becoming stronger. The Gram Sabha will decide the identification and priority of the works. Responsibility for implementation, monitoring and quality is ensured at the local level. Besides, provision for public review of expenditure and payments has been made by making social audit mandatory. Special emphasis has been laid on active participation of women, self-help groups and community.

The noise of Congress is only political. Congress had neither intentions nor policies. This is the same Congress which added the name of Mahatma Gandhi for electoral benefit. This is the same Congress, which reduced the budget of MNREGA from time to time. This is the same Congress which froze wages. Today Congress shed crocodile tears…

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) December 27, 2025

Workers’ rights are not like any dole: Shivraj Chauhan

The Union Minister said, ‘Every Panchayat is not the same. Arrangements have also been made to provide more funds, more assistance and more opportunities to the panchayats which are most backward, where there is still a dire need of employment and lack of basic infrastructure. In this scheme, the rights of workers have been ensured not as a dole, but as a respectable security.

He said, ‘It is based on timely work, respectable wages and safe working conditions in one’s own village. Special focus has been given to sustainable income growth through transparent and timely payments, creation of assets and livelihood related activities. Here rights are not being given on mercy, but with guarantee and respect.

VB-Ji Ram Ji is the future of rural India: Union Minister

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, ‘VB-ji Ram ji is the future of rural India. Its goal is empowered villages and respected labourers. Our resolution is village swaraj and self-reliance, our vision is village-based development. Our aim is respect for labour. Our aim is public participation and social accountability.

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During the winter session of Parliament, a political controversy has started in the Lok Sabha over the government’s bill changing the name of MNREGA to Ji Ram Ji. Meanwhile, Congress MP and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this bill. He said that PM Modi has a strong hatred for the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of poor people.

Rahul Gandhi targeted PM Modi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has targeted PM Modi by sharing a post on social media platform X on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). He said in his post, ‘Modi ji has strong hatred for two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor. MNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of village-swaraj, it is the support of the lives of crores of villagers, which also proved to be their economic security blanket during the Covid period. But Prime Minister Modi has always been irritated by this scheme and has been trying to weaken it for the last 10 years. Today he is bent upon erasing all traces of MNREGA.

Modi ji definitely hates two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor.

MNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Gram Swaraj – supporting the lives of crores of villagers, which also proved to be their economic security blanket during the Covid period.

But, Prime Minister Modi…

—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 16, 2025

He said, ‘The foundation of MNREGA was based on three basic ideas-

• Right to employment – ​​Whoever asks for work will get it.
• Freedom for the village to decide its own progress.
• The central government will bear the entire cost of labor and 75% of the cost of goods.

Now Prime Minister Modi wants to change this MNREGA and concentrate all the power in his hands only.

• The center will decide the budget, schemes and rules.
• States will be forced to bear 40% of the expenditure.
• As soon as the budget ends or during the harvest season, no one will get work for two months.

The new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi – Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi said, ‘This new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, the Modi government has already ruined the future of India’s youth through massive unemployment and now this bill is also a means of destroying the secure livelihood of the rural poor. We will oppose this anti-people bill from the streets of the village to the Parliament.

Also read: As soon as the Ji Ram Ji Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, the opposition created a ruckus, Priyanka said – ‘The craze of changing the name…’