Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Sunday staged a protest in Srinagar against what it termed the BJP-RSS move to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging an assault on democracy and the livelihood rights of rural people.
The protest was led by JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, with hundreds of Congress leaders and workers assembling at the party headquarters before attempting a march towards M.A. Road. However, police and paramilitary forces blocked the march, leading to brief scuffles as security personnel pushed back the protesters.
Despite heavy rainfall, Congress workers continued their protest, raising slogans against the Centre’s proposed move. Karra condemned the police action and vowed that the Congress would continue its struggle against what he called an “undemocratic and anti-poor” decision.
Addressing party workers, Karra said the move to repeal MGNREGA was a conspiracy to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and undermine the right to livelihood of rural citizens. “MGNREGA is not merely a scheme; it is a legal guarantee of employment. Diluting or repealing it amounts to snatching the right to work from the poor,” he said.
He further alleged that the proposed bill replaces a demand-driven employment guarantee with a centrally controlled scheme that offers no enforceable right to work, no universal coverage and no assurance of timely employment.
Karra said MGNREGA ensured the Centre’s primary responsibility in funding wages, while the new framework shifts the burden to states, caps allocations and weakens the demand-driven nature of the programme. “This undermines federalism and forces states to suppress genuine work demand due to financial constraints,” he added.
Senior Congress leaders present at the protest included Surinder Singh Channi, MLA Irfan Hafeez Lone, former MLA Abdul Raheem Rather, Nissar Ahmad Mandoo, Abid Kashmir, Dr Audil Farooq Mir Lasjan, Haji Farooq Mir, and several district presidents, youth leaders and party functionaries.
The JKPCC reiterated that it would intensify protests against any attempt to dilute rights-based welfare legislation and weaken democratic institutions.
