New Delhi, 16 Dec

Several opposition MPs protested in the Parliament House complex on Tuesday against the VB-G RAM G Bill, turning it into a fresh flashpoint between the government and the Opposition, which accused the BJP-led NDA of “insulting” Mahatma Gandhi by seeking to replace MGNREGA.

Soon after the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK’s TR Baalu, RSP’s N K Premchandran and others gathered near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the complex. Raising slogans such as “Gandhi ji ka ye apmann nahi sahega Hindustan (country will not tolerate this insult to Mahatma Gandhi)”, the MPs held placards and photographs of the Father of the Nation.

Addressing reporters, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of attempting to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, brought in by the previous UPA government. She also criticised what she termed the government’s “obsession” with changing the names of welfare schemes.

The Opposition MPs assembled near the steps of the Makar Dwar and marched to Prerna Sthal, continuing their protest against the proposed legislation.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, was introduced by Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan amid strong objections over the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name. Responding to the criticism, Chouhan said the government believed in and followed Gandhi’s ideals. “The (Narendra) Modi govt has done more for rural development than previous governments,” he said.

Opposition members demanded that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary panel for detailed scrutiny and also entered the Well of the House during the introduction.

According to the Bill, it proposes a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households. The Rural Development Ministry stated that the legislation aims to align employment generation with the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision through durable rural infrastructure and livelihood-focused initiatives.