Haryana CM Blasts Congress, AAP for ‘Falsehoods’ on Rural Jobs; Mocks Punjab Resolution as ‘Theatrics’
Saini accuses INDI alliance of misleading MGNREGA workers, highlights corruption under Congress rule and Haryana’s top wages amid opposition to new rural reform law
Chandigarh, January 5, 2026 – Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday lambasted the Congress party and the INDI alliance for allegedly running a “sustained campaign of falsehoods” to mislead MGNREGA workers, claiming their repeated lies have eroded their credibility and turned them into a “subject of public mockery.”
In a press conference here, Saini accused the opposition of shying away from constructive debates in Parliament and state assemblies, instead resorting to misinformation whenever welfare reforms for the poor are introduced. “Every time welfare reforms are introduced for the poor, Congress and the INDI alliance begin questioning the initiatives instead of offering solutions,” he said, urging them to come clean about their own record rather than criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Developed India” vision.
The remarks come amid growing opposition from Congress and its allies to the central government’s Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025—a flagship rural reform aimed at strengthening employment and livelihood security in villages. Congress leaders have criticized the law as an attempt to dilute MGNREGA protections, with protests and statements accusing the BJP of undermining rural workers’ rights.
Saini took particular aim at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government, mocking their recent assembly resolution as “politically motivated and fact-less.” On December 30, 2025, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution opposing the VB-G RAM G Act, urging the Centre to withdraw it and alleging it would harm rural employment guarantees. The move drew sharp criticism from the BJP, which called it a ploy to create confusion.
Dismissing the resolution as “political theatrics,” Saini highlighted what he termed a “Bua-Fuffad” (aunt-nephew) bond between Congress and AAP, suggesting a hidden alliance despite public rivalries. “Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should have clearly read the Act before passing any resolution,” Saini said, advising Mann to focus on raising Punjab’s rural wages from Rs 339 to match Haryana’s Rs 400 daily minimum instead.
Citing a 2013 CAG report, the CM alleged MGNREGA became “synonymous with corruption” under Congress-led UPA rule, plagued by fake beneficiaries, manipulated job cards, and fund siphoning due to lack of biometric authentication. He contrasted this with Modi’s reforms, which he said restored the scheme’s purpose.
Pointing to Punjab as an example of ongoing misuse, Saini referenced complaints during Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s recent visit, where workers alleged non-payment of wages while contractors pocketed funds. A social audit in over 5,900 gram panchayats uncovered 10,663 irregularities, including illegal withdrawals, with no recoveries or actions taken, he claimed.
In contrast, Saini touted Haryana’s achievements, noting the state pays the highest rural wages in India at Rs 400 per day, allowing workers to earn at least Rs 50,000 annually—far above Punjab’s Rs 339 or Himachal Pradesh’s Rs 236. He added that from October 2014 to October 2025, Haryana disbursed Rs 5,243 crore to rural workers, three times the Rs 1,854 crore paid during a decade of Congress rule, with Rs 1,000 crore budgeted this year.
Cabinet Ministers Dr Arvind Sharma, Ranbir Gangwa, Krishan Kumar Bedi, along with Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar and Media Secretary Praveen Attrey, were present.
The escalating war of words underscores deepening political divides over rural employment policies ahead of potential local polls, with opposition parties vowing to intensify protests against the new Act.
