LS passes VB-G RAM G Bill amid Oppn protest; PM Modi keeps Gandhi’s ideals alive, says Shivraj Chouhan

New Delhi: In a tumultuous session marked by loud protests and sloganeering from Opposition benches, the Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM-G Bill) via voice vote on Thursday.

The legislation, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with an enhanced guarantee of 125 days of wage employment annually for rural households, was cleared despite demands for further scrutiny.

The House was subsequently adjourned till December 19. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, defending the Bill amid disruptions, sharply contrasted the government’s approach with the Opposition’s legacy.

“The Congress party worked to kill Bapu’s ideals, while Narendra Modi ji worked to keep Bapu’s ideals alive,” he declared.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, Chouhan highlighted how the Modi government’s flagship schemes embody Gandhian principles in action.

“Bapu is alive today in the houses built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, in Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, in Ujjwala Yojana where smoke has been removed from ten crore kitchens, in Ayushman Bharat assuring treatment for 36 crore people, and in 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs providing affordable medicines,” he said in the House.

He further noted Gandhi’s presence in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra Yojana, Skill India, Atal Mission, and PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

“Bapu is not just alive in pictures and posters, but in all our hearts. Bapu’s ideals are alive in this scheme,” Chouhan asserted, referencing the Bill’s 60:40 Centre-state funding ratio to build a “new India”.

He emphasised that the legislation will play a pivotal role in uplifting the poor through empowerment, growth, and saturation of rural infrastructure.

Minister Chouhan concluded his emotive speech with a poem by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, underscoring national unity and progress.

The Opposition, led by Congress, decried the Bill as an erosion of MGNREGA’s demand-driven rights and an “insult” to Gandhi by removing his name.

Protests continued throughout the reply, forcing brief adjournments earlier in the day. Earlier, Congress member K.C. Venugopal demanded that the Bill be referred to the JPC or the Standing Committee.

After passing the Bill, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House for the day.

IANS