Shafaqna India: The controversial Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, also known as VB-G Ram G Bill, which seeks to replace the law on rural job guarantee scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was on Tuesday introduced in Lok Sabha by Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Several lawmakers from the INDIA bloc rushed into the well of the House with photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, whose name has been replaced from the nomenclature of the proposed legislation, to protest against the Bill.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed soon after Chouhan sought permission to introduce the G Ram G Bill in the Lower House.
To provide clarity on the Bill, the Lok Sabha secretariat has kept a briefing for all MPs on the proposed legislation at 9:30 am on Wednesday morning amid speculations that the government may try and get it passed on December 17.
Leading a strong protest against the Bill, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said it weakens the law and should be withdrawn. The Wayanad MP also said no law should be passed based on someone’s “whim, ambition and prejudice”.
The Congress leader also questioned the “craze” to change the name of every scheme and pointed out that the Centre incurs a lot of cost whenever such a decision is taken.
“The Bill should not be passed in haste without discussion and without taking the advice of this House. It must be withdrawn and the government should bring a new Bill,” she said.
When someone from the treasury benches made a “family” remark, she replied, “Mahatma Gandhi is not from my family, but he is like my family member and the entire country feels the same way,” Vadra said.
Amid protests by the Opposition, Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded, saying Gandhi “lives in our hearts”.
Chouhan said that the UPA government brought MNREGA, but the Modi government strengthened it. He said that the Opposition’s problem is that the new Bill now gives a guarantee of 125 work days instead of 100 days that MGNREGA assured.
The Union Minister further stated that Bapu (Gandhi) used to talk of Ram Rajya, and his last words were ‘Hey Ram’, but the Opposition has a problem with saying Ram. He also said that the Bill will establish Ram Rajya in keeping with the spirit of Gandhi.
Amid the clamour, the House was adjourned till 2 pm.
Priyanka said: “This is such a revolutionary law that when it was brought, all political parties in Parliament supported it. This provides 100 days of employment in a year to the poorest of the poor in this country,” she said.
The Congress also staged a protest on the Parliament premises, holding photographs of Mahatma Gandhi.
Her party colleague Shashi Tharoor, too, opposed the Bill, saying it is “immoral” to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name.
Congress MP KC Venugopal while pointing at Chouhan, said that “History will remember your name for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the Bill”.
