Sonia Gandhi’s demands regarding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme may sound well-intentioned at first glance, but a closer look exposes a glaring flaw. While seeking an increase in wages and workdays for rural labourers is commendable, her insistence on scrapping Aadhaar verification is indefensible. Why would a leader advocate for removing a basic identity check that ensures benefits reach the rightful recipients? The answer raises serious questions about her motives. In her Zero Hour speech in the Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi painted a grim picture of the BJP government’s handling of MGNREGA, accusing it of deliberately undermining the scheme. She highlighted issues such as delayed wage payments, inadequate funding, and a rigid digital monitoring system. Yet, conveniently, she failed to acknowledge that MGNREGA—despite its noble intentions—has been plagued by corruption and ghost beneficiaries for years. It is precisely to tackle these fraudulent practices that Aadhaar-based authentication was made mandatory. The facts speak for themselves. Few crores of people across India have benefited from this landmark scheme, providing economic security to millions in rural areas. However, without a robust verification system, the scheme risks being exploited by non-eligible individuals, including illegal immigrants. Reports have repeatedly surfaced about thousands of undocumented individuals from Myanmar and Bangladesh illicitly accessing government welfare benefits. Can any government justify handing taxpayer money to outsiders while depriving legitimate Indian citizens of their rightful dues?
The Modi government’s insistence on Aadhaar verification is a safeguard against precisely such misuse. It ensures that funds are disbursed only to eligible beneficiaries, preventing siphoning by middlemen and fake job cardholders—something that had become rampant under Congress rule. Ironically, states controlled by opposition parties, including West Bengal and Jharkhand, have seen disturbing instances of illegal migrants obtaining fake Aadhaar and voter IDs. The Congress party’s push to eliminate identity verification plays right into the hands of such fraudulent elements. It is worth noting that while Sonia Gandhi criticizes the government, she remains silent on how her own party mismanaged MGNREGA during its tenure. Under the Congress-led UPA, the scheme was marred by inefficiencies, delayed payments, and widespread corruption. The BJP government, despite its critics, has worked towards streamlining the process, ensuring that wages are transferred directly into workers’ bank accounts. If Sonia Gandhi genuinely cares about MGNREGA workers, she should focus on demanding higher wages and improved efficiency rather than advocating a rollback of necessary safeguards. The government must certainly consider increasing the daily wage to Rs 400 and extending the guaranteed work period to 150 days, as these measures would directly uplift rural labourers. However, Aadhaar verification is non-negotiable. Any attempt to remove it is a direct invitation to large-scale fraud. At its core, this debate is not about helping the poor but about ensuring that benefits reach the right people. Sonia Gandhi’s demand to scrap identity verification does not serve India’s rural workforce—it serves vested political interests. The Modi government must stand firm and reject any attempt to weaken the integrity of one of India’s most crucial welfare schemes.