Opposition MPs protest against VB- G RAM G bill on rural employment, term it 'insult' to Mahatma Gandhi

New Delhi: Several opposition MPs protested in the Parliament House complex on Tuesday over the VB-G RAM G Bill that has become a new flashpoint with the government, as they accused the BJP-led NDA dispensation of "insulting" Mahatma Gandhi.

Soon after the government introduced the bill in Lok Sabha seeking to replace MGNREGA, Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, DMK's TR Baalu, RSP's N K Premchandran, among others, held the protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the complex, raising slogans like "Gandhi ji ka ye apmann nahi sahega Hindustan (country will not tolerate this insult of Mahatma Gandhi)".

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of attempting to finish off the rural employment guarantee law -- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 -- that was implemented by the erstwhile UPA dispensation.

The opposition MPs gathered near the steps of the Makar Dwar of Parliament with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi in hand and walked to the statue of the father of the nation at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House complex.

Speaking with reporters, Priyanka Gandhi also slammed the government for its "obsession" with changing the names of schemes.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name.

Chouhan, while countering the opposition, 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. They also came to the Well of the House, holding up photographs of Mahatma Gandhi.

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.