Congress questions labour policy’s link to ancient texts

The Congress has accused the Narendra Modi government of bringing back the principles of the Manusmriti through its new labour policy. The party says the draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 reflects the RSS’s ideological influence.

Jairam Ramesh targets the government on X

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the policy on X (formerly Twitter) on October 29, 2025.
He said the government is trying to revive Manusmriti-based ideas through its new labour policy.
According to Ramesh, this shows the Modi government’s alignment with the RSS’s beliefs.

He added that the RSS had opposed the Constitution after its adoption for not being based on Manusmriti.
“The Modi government’s draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 explicitly claims that the Manusmriti embeds the moral basis of labour governance within India’s civilisational fabric,” Ramesh wrote.

What the draft policy says

Ramesh shared an extract from the Union Labour Ministry’s document.
The text says:

“Ancient texts such as the Manusmriti, Yajnavalkyasmriti, Naradasmriti, Sukraniti, and Arthashastra articulated this ethos through the concept of rajadharma. They stressed the ruler’s duty to ensure justice, fair wages, and the protection of workers from exploitation. These early ideas shaped India’s civilisational approach to labour governance, long before modern labour laws.”

Congress links it to RSS ideology

Congress said the reference to Hindu scriptures shows the government’s preference for RSS-inspired thought.
The party urged the Centre to focus on modern, rights-based labour laws instead of ancient doctrines.
It also demanded the removal of such references from the policy draft.