New Delhi, Dec. 21 -- Congress leader K C Venugopal on Sunday accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government of dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying that it has been reduced from a legal right to a "favour".

His remarks come after the Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill) during the Winter Session of Parliament.

In a post on X, Venugopal said, "The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA - by converting it from a right to a favour." He stressed that MGNREGA was never meant to be a welfare handout. "MGNREGA was a legal right to work, not a welfare handout," he said.

Venugopal alleged that the ...