"Congress MPs stood before the Chair and shredded decorum": Chirag Paswan slams opposition for creating ruckus in LS

New Delhi [India], December 18 : Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Thursday lashed out at the Opposition for creating ruckus in the Parliament during the passing of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, saying that the role that the Opposition played in the passing of this Bill is "shameful."
The Union Minister alleged that the Congress MPs stood before the Chair and "shredded decorum."
Speaking to reporters, Paswan said, "G-RAM-G scheme was brought with an idea to strengthen the villages of the country - the idea to empower the poor, to minimise the distance between villages and cities. Mahatma Gandhi had said that India's soul lives in villages. With the idea of strengthening those villages, this scheme has been brought."
"I think that the role that Opposition played in the passing of this Bill is shameful. The oldest party of the country trampled on old traditions, it can never be accepted. Do oppose, you have the right to do so. But if you want to further your mindset by demolishing decorum...Congress MPs stood before the Chair and shredded decorum. If you present your ideas like that, it is not in line with traditions and this will never be accepted," he further stated.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticised the opposition, saying, "What conduct did the Congress party exhibit in the Lok Sabha today? There was discussion for 10 hours until night. You had the chance to make your point, but when Shivraj Singh Chouhan came to respond, you were tearing up the bill... Has the Congress party now become an anarchic party?"
"They should stop taking the name of Gandhi ji. It was elaborated in detail that in the country's development, whether it be Swachh Bharat, the housing scheme for the poor, the drinking water scheme, all those schemes that have been implemented on the ground, Gandhi ji resides in them. Not just in name. Today, I felt great pain from this conduct of the entire opposition, especially the Congress party. Don't you have faith in the democratic process?" the BJP MP added.
The Lok Sabha passed the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which reframed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with an employment guarantee scheme during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The bill was passed amid opposition protests, leading to repeated disruptions and the adjournment of the House after a ruckus.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had earlier introduced the bill, moved it for consideration and passing.
Speaking in the house, Agri Minister Shivraj Chouhan defended renaming the bill and accused the opposition of deviating from Gandhi's ideals."Bapu is our ideal, our inspiration. We are committed to following the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi Ji, which is why the Bharatiya Janata Party has incorporated Gandhi Ji's social and economic philosophy into its Panchnischay. The opposition is murdering Bapu's ideals. Yesterday in the House, I listened to the honorable members until 1:30 at night. You listen to your own words and don't listen to ours; this too is violence," he said.
The Bill aims to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household, in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. It also focuses on strengthening rural livelihoods and accelerating overall rural development.