Congress MP and leader Dipender Hooda, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud, Madhu Yaskhi Goud and TPCC Media Committee Chairman Sama Rammohan Reddy at a press conference in Hyderabad on December 21, 2025. Photo: Special Arrangement
Congress MP and senior leader Dipender Hooda has alleged that the Center has forcefully pushed through the legislation that scraps the world’s largest employment guarantee scheme launched by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.
Speaking to reporters at the Gandhi Bhavan, he along with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Gouda alleged that the BJP-led government has systematically weakened the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) since 2014 by slashing budgets, withholding statutory levies through states and excluding nearly seven Aroad-based job cards. mandates.
As a result, the scheme now provides barely 50 to 55 days of employment a year under the guise of reforms, he said, warning that converting MGNREGA from a demand-driven, rights-based law to a centrally-managed, limited scheme was an abrogation of Article 21 of the Constitution. He also criticized the Center for shifting the financial burden of nearly Rs 50,000 crore to the states while retaining full control over rules and credit.
Calling the move an “open declaration of war on rural livelihood”, Mr Hooda said the Congress would oppose the policy on all platforms, from Parliament to the streets.
He also welcomed the court’s dismissal of the ED case in the National Herald, terming it a decisive blow to what he described as the Modi-Shah vendetta politics. The verdict exposed the misuse of central agencies to harass political opponents and vindicated Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Mr. Mahesh Goud said that truth had triumphed over political conspiracy and reiterated the Congress party’s commitment to defend democracy, federalism and constitutional institutions, which he claimed were being dismantled by the BJP government. Former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud and TPCC media committee chairman Sama Rammohan Reddy were also present.
Published – 21 December 2025 15:53 IST
