Congress Vows Fasts Across India to Save MGNREGA Jobs Scheme

Rural India's safety net hangs by a thread, and Congress won't let it snap. Leader Ajay Rai has called for countrywide protests and fasts to thwart what he terms a covert bid to scrap MGNREGA, igniting a firestorm of opposition activity.

From Lucknow's political corridors, Rai issued a clarion call, decrying fund squeezes that have halved job cards issued. 'MGNREGA isn't charity; it's a right enshrined by Congress,' he asserted, detailing how it injects Rs 3 lakh crore into villages yearly.

Protests erupt tomorrow in key towns, escalating to Gandhi-inspired fasts by party's grassroots army. Rai invoked stats: 2.5 crore households at risk without it, especially women and SC/ST communities who form 60% of workers.

The scheme's journey from UPA brainchild to BJP bugbear is fraught. While leaks were curbed via tech, core support endures. Congress pitches it as anti-poverty armor amid jobless growth, demanding budget hikes to Rs 1 lakh crore.

As banners unfurl and voices amplify, this uprising spotlights deepening rural inequities. The center's next move could define electoral battlelines, with fasting figures becoming symbols of defiance.