Digboi: As Assembly elections draw closer, political activity has intensified across Assam. Against this backdrop, Congress workers on Friday staged a sit-in protest at Tingrai Bazaar in Digboi. They said the protest aimed to defend the “right to work” of rural people.
The Digboi Block Congress organised the programme under the banner ‘Save MNREGA Struggle’. Through the demonstration, the party opposed the reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). Meanwhile, hundreds of leaders and workers gathered at the Puja Mandap. As a result, the usually busy marketplace turned into a platform for political mobilisation.
The protest also reflected the party’s larger electoral strategy. According to Congress leaders, welfare schemes and rural livelihoods will dominate the election narrative in the months ahead. In this context, they described MNREGA as central to their political agenda. They also termed the scheme a key legacy of the Congress.
Addressing the gathering, newly elected Digboi Block Congress President Vishnu Jaiswal launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government. He accused it of steadily weakening welfare initiatives introduced during the Congress era. In particular, he alleged that the proposed renaming of MNREGA was a calculated attempt to dilute statutory employment guarantees. Moreover, he claimed such moves would push rural workers into the hands of contractors.
“MNREGA is a law, not a favour,” Jaiswal said. “It ensures dignity through work. Therefore, any attempt to erase or replace it amounts to an attack on the poorest families of the country.”
He further warned that such policy decisions would carry political consequences. According to Jaiswal, the Congress will take this message from village to village during the election campaign.
Other senior leaders also echoed similar concerns. They linked the MNREGA issue to broader challenges such as unemployment, rising prices, and deepening rural distress. At the same time, they alleged that the BJP’s governance model has failed to address the everyday struggles of farmers, labourers, and tea garden workers, particularly in Upper Assam. Hence, they said the Congress would place rural employment at the centre of its election plank.
Several party leaders attended the programme. Among them were Tinsukia District Congress Vice President Bhaskar Jeevan Barua, APCC Disaster and Rehabilitation Department Vice President Rajiv Moran, AICC National Coordinator Runashree Saikia, MOBC Department President Dulal Moran, District Vice President Lakheshwar Moran, Bharat Nayak, and former Digboi Block Congress President Vinod Kharia.
Apart from them, APCC Executive Member Gunakanta Gogoi, the Mahila Congress President, and the Congress ward commissioner of Digboi Municipality were also present at the venue.
The demonstration ended peacefully. Nevertheless, the political message was unmistakable. With elections approaching, the Congress has made it clear that the battle over MNREGA is far from over. Going forward, the party has signalled that rural employment will remain at the heart of its campaign as the state heads to the polls.