A bill that seeks to guarantee rural jobs for 125 days every year and replace the 20-year-old MNREGA was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the “removal” of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from it.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while introducing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, said the government not only believes in Mahatma Gandhi but also follows his principles. “The (Narendra) Modi govt has done more for rural development than previous governments,” he said.
Opposition members strongly opposed the proposed legislation at the introduction stage and pressed for sending the bill to a parliamentary panel for greater scrutiny. The MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi of the Congress, strongly objected to the “removal” of Mahatma Gandhi’s name.
Opposing the bill at the introduction stage, T R Baalu of DMK said Mahatma Gandhi lived in villages and worked for the welfare of the poor there. He said then prime minister Manmohan Singh brought the “noble bill” (MNREGA), which helped the poorest of the poor get 100 days of employment.
The Father of the Nation is being “ridiculed” by the present government, he charged. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra registered her “strong objection” to the draft law, saying MNREGA was a revolutionary Act which was supported by all members of the House when it was passed.
“Under this, the poorest of the poor get 100 days of employment. This (present) bill is weakening the employment rights of the poor. It is against the Constitution,” she claimed.
The MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said the MGNREG Act has ensured the Centre provides 90 per cent of the funds for the works undertaken under the law.
“It will be reduced to 60 per cent now. This will hit the finances of the state governments, especially those waiting for GST compensation, she pointed out. “Under this bill, the Centre’s control over the scheme will increase, but its responsibility will come down.”
Responding to certain remarks by some ruling party MPs, she said Mahatma Gandhi was not from her family, but he was from every family in the country. She proposed sending the bill to a parliamentary panel.
Congress’ Shashi Tharoor took a sharp dig at the government while opposing the VB-G RAM G bill, recalling the 1971 hit Bollywood number — “Dekho o deewano (tum) ye kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnaam na karo (don’t sully Lord Ram’s name)”.
Tharoor asserted that the bill is not merely an administrative tweak but an “assault on the very spirit and philosophical foundation of this crucial programme”.
The opposition members also came to the Well of the House, holding up photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, expressing their disapproval of the “removal” of the name of the Father of the Nation.
According to a copy of the Bill, it will provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work.
Within six months from the date of commencement of the VB-G RAM G Act, states will have to make a scheme consistent with the provisions of the new law.
In a statement, the Rural Development Ministry said the proposed legislation will establish a modern statutory framework aligned with the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
It said the Bill aims to create both employment and durable rural infrastructure through four priority verticals — water security through water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events.
All assets created are aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, ensuring a unified, coordinated national development strategy, the statement said.
The ministry termed it a “major upgrade” over MGNREGA, fixing structural weaknesses while enhancing employment, transparency, planning, and accountability.
Congress to hold countrywide protest today
The Congress will hold protests across the country on Wednesday against the Centre’s rural employment bill VB-G RAM G that seeks to replace MGNREGA, claiming it was a “BJP-RSS conspiracy” to dismantle a rights-based welfare scheme and attack Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy, workers’ rights and federal responsibility.
The opposition party’s general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, in a letter to all state Congress presidents, urged them to organise protests at all district headquarters.
These protests must be held with portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, symbolising resistance to the erasure of his name and values, and highlight how the proposed law will impact the crores of beneficiaries of MGNREGA, he said in the letter.
“The combined attack on Gandhiji’s legacy, workers’ rights and federal responsibility exposes a larger BJP-RSS conspiracy to dismantle rights-based welfare and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre,” Venugopal said.
The opposition has strongly objected to the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday.
The Congress and other opposition MPs also staged a protest in Parliament House complex over the Centre’s move.
In the letter to the Congress state unit chief, Venugopal said that on December 28, the party’s Foundation Day, programmes should be organised at all blocks and villages, with Mahatma Gandhi’s portraits, reaffirming the party’s commitment to the dignity of labour, social justice and the right to work.
“This is both a political and moral struggle. The Congress must lead from the front to defend MGNREGA, Gandhiji’s legacy and the constitutional promise of justice for the poorest,” Venugopal said in a post on X.
In his letter, he said the BJP government has taken an alarming and deliberate step by introducing a bill to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
“This is not a routine legislative exercise. It is a calculated political move to weaken a historical, rights-based people’s law and to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s name and values from India’s most recognisable welfare legislation.
“This combined attack on Gandhiji’s legacy, rights and federal responsibility exposes a larger BJP-RSS conspiracy to dismantle rights-based welfare and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre,” he noted.