Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Police resorts to lathi-charge on ‘MGNREGA Bachao’ protesters and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
Protest calendar
According to the Congress, the agitation will continue in multiple phases till February 25:
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From 12 to 29 January, chaupals and mass contact programmes will be organised in gram panchayats.
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On 30 January, ward-level peaceful sit-ins will be held to press for the right to work.
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Between 7 and 15 February, state-level gheraos of Vidhan Sabhas are planned.
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The campaign will culminate in four major rallies between 16 and 25 February.
The party has said that unlike the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, which was centred in Delhi, the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram will focus on mobilisation at the panchayat, block, district and state levels.
Political attack on UP government
The Congress described the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh as a “trouble-engine” administration, alleging that it was unwilling to tolerate questioning on the issue of rural employment.
Party leaders said the police action in Varanasi reflected what they called the state government’s growing intolerance towards peaceful protest.
The Congress is demanding the complete withdrawal of the VB-G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based law guaranteeing employment, along with the reinstatement of the authority of local self-government institutions in planning and implementation.
Background to the law
The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act was passed by Parliament on 18 December 2025 through a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha amid opposition protests, hours after being cleared by the Lok Sabha.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill on 21 December 2025, making it law.
The Act guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household every financial year, but the Congress has argued that the new framework shifts financial and administrative burdens to states and dilutes the legal entitlement that existed under MGNREGA.
The Uttar Pradesh government has not yet issued a formal response to the Congress’s allegation of police excesses during the Varanasi protest.