DMK alliance to hold statewide protest on Dec 24 against Centre’s rural job scheme overhaul

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has announced a statewide protest on December 24 to oppose the Union government’s newly enacted Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The DMK and its alliance partners have termed the move a direct attack on rural livelihoods and an attempt to dilute a flagship social security programme that has supported millions of vulnerable households for nearly two decades.

The protest aims to mobilise beneficiaries of the existing 100-day rural employment scheme along with district secretaries, MLAs, local body representatives, and cadre from the alliance parties. According to a statement released by the SPA, the demonstrations will be conducted at 10 a.m. across the state, including in Chennai, district headquarters, and village panchayats.

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The alliance has urged all stakeholders dependent on the current rural job scheme to participate, asserting that the new law threatens not only wages and employment days but also undermines the principle of guaranteed work that MGNREGA enshrined. The release also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government of acting against the interests of the poor and lambasted the AIADMK for “supporting” the Centre on this issue.

The SPA claims that the replacement legislation places an unfair financial burden on state governments and weakens legal safeguards that ensured timely wage payments, transparency in job allocation, and accountability in implementation. The opposition to the VB-G RAM G Bill has intensified in Tamil Nadu since December 18, when the state government formally conveyed its objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in a detailed communication, expressed concern that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name was symbolic of an attempt to erase the spirit of a rights-based employment law. He argued that the new framework will jeopardise the livelihoods of crores of rural poor, especially in states such as Tamil Nadu, where the scheme has been widely utilised and efficiently implemented. He also warned that shifting financial responsibilities to states without proportionate central funding could strain Centre-State relations and hamper poverty alleviation efforts.

With the protest scheduled for December 24, the DMK-led alliance plans to escalate political pressure on the Centre, signalling a prolonged confrontation over what it sees as a fundamental rollback of rural employment guarantees.