New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) Joining a chorus of opposition voices, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led Central Government on Monday, accusing it of systematically dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Yadav’s remarks come amidst a national controversy over the massive deletion of job cards and a proposed legislative overhaul that shifts a significant portion of the scheme’s financial burden onto state governments.
In a statement shared on social media, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that the ruling party is more focused on divisive politics than rural livelihoods.
“Under BJP rule, hatred, inflation, unemployment, and corruption are increasing uncontrollably, while everything else is decreasing. In such a scenario, how can MGNREGA survive? That is why job cards are being deleted,” Yadav claimed. “To put it bluntly, the BJP is anti-poor!”
Yadav highlighted that by altering the funding patterns, the Centre is essentially “washing its hands” of its responsibilities and leaving states to fend for themselves.
The SP chief shared data indicating a worrying trend of worker exclusions across several states. According to reports cited by the opposition, nearly 90.4 lakh job cards have been deleted in Uttar Pradesh alone, with Bihar seeing a staggering removal of 1.04 crore cards. Nationwide, approximately 27 lakh active workers were reportedly removed from the rolls between October and November 2025.
While the Ministry of Rural Development maintains that these deletions are part of a routine “weeding out” of fake or duplicate beneficiaries through mandatory e-KYC and Aadhaar-linked systems, the opposition argues that technical glitches and digital exclusion are stripping genuine poor laborers of their right to work.
The timing of these deletions is particularly sensitive as the government has moved to replace MGNREGA with a new bill: the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025.
Key points of contention regarding the new bill include: Funding Split- A shift from the Centre bearing 100% of unskilled wages to a 60:40 split between the Centre and States.
Renaming- Opposition leaders, including Yadav and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, have accused the BJP of trying to “erase Mahatma Gandhi’s name” from the historic legislation.
Central Control- Critics argue the new model transforms a “demand-driven” legal right into a “supply-driven” scheme controlled by central budget caps.
Financial Strain on States
Akhilesh Yadav emphasized that many states are already struggling with pending dues from the Centre.
“Several states have still not received their previous MGNREGA funds. By putting the entire burden on state governments, you are creating a crisis. Renaming a scheme won’t help the laborer whose stove has gone cold because of missing wages,” Yadav had said during a recent interaction with reporters.
Fallowing the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 now becoming a law after the legislation, passed in the Parliamenty last week, also got the assent of the President Droupadi Murmu, “Save MGNREGA” movement is gaining momentum, with the Samajwadi Party and other allies vowing to take the fight from the floor of the House to the streets of rural India.
