Patiala, February 11 The Punjab Congress accused the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday of being the biggest enemy of farmers, the poor, and labourers.
The accusations were made at a rally held on 'Save MGNREGA' in Nabha.
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, said the change in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) law was proof of that.
Addressing the rally, Baghel said the fight was to safeguard the rights of labourers and the Constitution.
Accusing the BJP of tampering with the Constitution, he alleged that the BJP sought to change the Constitution after aiming for "400-plus seats" in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and accused it of undermining welfare schemes.
Baghel alleged that the BJP was intimidating opposition leaders through central agencies such as the CBI, ED, and Income Tax, and said that Congress leaders would not be intimidated.
He referred to past imprisonments of party leaders and vowed continued resistance.
Alleging that Modi had "surrendered" farmers' interests by allowing agricultural and dairy imports under international agreements, Baghel said the Congress would oppose any move detrimental to the farming community.
He said Modi was the first prime minister in India's history to allow the import of dairy and agricultural products, which would spell doom for farmers in the country.
He reiterated that the party would restore MGNREGA if it forms the government in Punjab in 2027 and at the Centre in 2029, asserting that the ongoing struggle was for farmers and labourers, while accusing the BJP of working for corporate interests.
Accusing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of being the B-team of the BJP, Baghel questioned his silence regarding the changes in MGNREGA.
Speaking at the event, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring described MGNREGA as the "first law that granted the right to work" and credited former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for introducing it to prevent "anarchy and lawlessness" arising from hunger and unemployment.
He accused the BJP of selling off public assets and favouring corporates, alleging that "80 per cent of the country's wealth is concentrated in the hands of two individuals" while the poor are being deprived of employment opportunities.
Warring questioned PM Modi's claims of extending work guarantees and doubling farmers' incomes, asking whether workers had even received the mandated 100 days of employment under MGNREGA.
"If they did not get 50 days, how will they get 125 days?" he asked, terming the announcements as "bluff".
Maintaining that the Centre could have increased daily wages to Rs 700 if intentions were clear, he said the Congress would continue its agitation until the scheme is fully restored.
The Congress also held a demonstration against the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab.
The party leaders said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Bhagwant Mann had "completely failed" in safeguarding the lives of people in the state.
They referred to the frequent incidents of killings by criminals and gangsters, with the government being clueless.
Warring said it had failed to deliver on its promise of Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to women, asking Chief Minister Mann to clear arrears of Rs 60,000.
He urged voters to "take their money but not vote for them", accusing AAP of making false promises.
On the issue of drug abuse, Warring said while the Punjab governor's anti-drug march was welcome, the flow of narcotics from across the border raised questions about the Centre's role.
He noted that border security falls under the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Union home ministry, holding both the state and central governments responsible for failing to curb the menace.
He suggested that the Punjab governor was trying to bring the BJP and the Akali Dal together, and said this would hardly make any difference to the Congress, which was bound to defeat them all, be it the Akali-BJP alliance or AAP.