"Having Ram in someone's name does not give a license for anything...": RJD's Manoj Jha on MGNREGA name change row
Dec 17, 2025
New Delhi [India], December 17 : RJD MP Manoj Jha on Wednesday criticised the Centre over the decision to change the name of the MGNREGA scheme, saying that merely having "Ram" in someone's name doesn't give them a license to anything.
"Even people within the BJP are troubled by this, people in the NDA are also troubled..." he said.
Jha underlined that there was a 90-10 per cent ratio between the central and state government, which has drastically changed to 60-40 per cent. He further shredded the government, stating that having "Ram" in someone's name does not give them a license for anything.
"Under the scheme, there was a 90-10 per cent ratio between the central and state governments, which has been changed to 60-40 per cent. You have completely rejected all its rights-based approach.... Obviously, having Ram in someone's name does not give a license for anything... Who is advising the government in this manner? A scheme that provided a safety net to this country--instead of strengthening this scheme further, you are destroying its very soul," he added.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan yesterday introduced in Lok Sabha the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, also referred to as the VB-G RAM-G Bill, which aims to replace the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The introduction of the Bill was met with uproar from the Opposition MPs.
Opposing the Bill, Congress has announced a series of nationwide protests today, accusing the BJP and RSS of attempting to "dismantle rights-based welfare" and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre. The party has directed its state units (Pradesh Congress Committees) to organise protests at all district headquarters.
The demonstrations will feature portraits of Mahatma Gandhi to symbolise resistance against the "erasure of his name and values" and highlight the potential impact of the new law on millions of beneficiaries.
