Centre replaced MGNREGA to provide cheap labour to corporates: CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday claimed that the NDA government at the Centre replaced the MGNREGA with VB G RAM G act to ensure availability of cheap labour for big corporates by stripping the rural poor of their right to work.

Addressing a meeting of state Congress office bearers and other leaders here, he also claimed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll is a conspiracy to disenfranchise the minorities, Dalits, adivasis and the poor and ensure they remain subservient to big corporates.

He said MGNREGA ended migration and bonded labour in rural areas and empowered rural workers to demand work.

''Today, labour is not available to big industrialists like Adani, Ambani. If MGNREGA is abolished in villages, the rural poor would again migrate to towns. When the poor come to towns again, Adani, Ambani will get labour. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is ji conspiring to end the rural employment guarantee scheme to make us slaves to companies like the British East India Company and to make us bonded labour,'' Revanth Reddy said.

It is a ''conspiracy of corporate companies'' and is being implemented by the BJP, alleged CM Reddy. He warned that Congress would resist these anti-poor laws with the same intensity as the historic farmers' protest against the now-withdrawn farm laws.

''Where is this 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India)?'' he asked and claimed, ''You (Modi) are creating India of crisis. You have brought this law to make poor bonded labourers and slaves.'' Referring to the resolution against VB G RAM G passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly recently, the Chief Minister said Gram Panchayats should pass similar resolutions against the new law.

He said the state Congress would make efforts to make one of the top leaders of Congress -- Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra-- to address a public meeting in Telangana in February as part of its campaign against VB G RAM G.

He would be the happiest if Sonia Gandhi could attend the public meeting, provided her health permits, he said. Revanth Reddy will address nine public meetings across the state.

The chief minister said the state budget for FY 2026-27 would be introduced on February 1.

The resolutions passed by the Gram Panchayats against replacing MGNREGA would be handed over to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during the coming budget session of parliament.

''We have to conduct a relentless struggle till this law (VB G RAM G) is withdrawn,'' he said.

Attacking the NDA government over the SIR of the electoral roll taken up by the Election Commission, he alleged that the BJP had conspired to change the Constitution by winning 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, also describing the BJP as 'Britishers Janata Party'.

However, the BJP did not get the 400 seats after Rahul Gandhi and Kharge ''cautioned people,'' which led to ''postponing'' the idea to change the Constitution, he claimed.

However, the BJP is trying to achieve its objective by disenfranchising the poor through the SIR, he said.

''If voting right is removed, a person would lose aadhar card, ration card and benefits from the government. Then, the BJP would decide whether such a person should continue to be a citizen of the country or not. BJP is conspiring to force crores of poor into bonded labour by saying that they are not citizens of the country,'' he said. Alleging that ''PM Modi is harassing Rahul Gandhi'' through ED and others, Revanth Reddy called upon Congress workers to strive to make Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister.