New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), describing the new legislation to replace it as a “black law” that would be resisted by lakhs of Congress workers across the country.

In a video message, Gandhi said the weakening of MGNREGA amounted to an attack on the interests of crores of farmers, labourers and landless people. She alleged that over the past 11 years, the Centre had consistently ignored the concerns of the rural poor.

Addressing rural communities, Gandhi recalled the passage of the MGNREGA Act 20 years ago, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister, saying it was approved by Parliament through consensus. Calling it a “revolutionary step”, she said the scheme became a crucial source of livelihood for the deprived and the poorest sections of society.

According to Gandhi, MGNREGA helped curb migration in search of work, provided a legal right to employment and empowered gram panchayats. “Through MGNREGA, a concrete step was taken towards realising the dream of an India based on Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj,” she said.

She alleged that the government had recently “run a bulldozer over MGNREGA”, claiming that Mahatma Gandhi’s name had been removed and the structure of the scheme altered arbitrarily, without deliberation, consultation or taking the opposition into confidence.

Under the new law, Gandhi said, decisions on employment — including who gets work, how much, and where — would be taken by the government in Delhi, far removed from ground realities.

Emphasising the Congress party’s role in bringing and implementing MGNREGA, she said the scheme was never party-specific but linked to national and public interest. “By weakening this law, the Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers and landless poor in rural India,” she said.

Reaffirming her commitment, Gandhi added, “Twenty years ago, I too fought to secure the right to employment for our poor brothers and sisters; today, I remain committed to fighting against this black law. All Congress leaders like me and lakhs of workers stand with you.”

The Congress has earlier said it would take its protest against the repeal law to the grassroots.

Parliament on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA. The bill, which guarantees 125 days of rural wage employment annually, was passed amid strong opposition protests.

Defending the legislation, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the changes were necessary to address shortcomings in the old scheme. The bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote, hours after it was passed by the Lok Sabha.

Opposition parties have strongly objected to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme and accused the government of shifting the financial burden on to states.