Opposition slams Centre as "descendants of Nathuram Godse" after parliament passes VB G RAM-G bill

New Delhi [India], December 19 : While Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill on Thursday, the move triggered strong opposition protests. Opposition parties criticised the Centre, with some leaders branding it the "descendants of Nathuram Godse" and alleging that the government had insulted Mahatma Gandhi.
The Trinamool Congress staged a 12-hour dharna outside the Parliament complex to protest the passage of the VB G RAM-G Bill. Members of other opposition parties also joined the demonstration, voicing their objections to the legislation outside Parliament.
Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is currently in Germany, joined the chorus of criticism against the Bill, calling it "anti-state" and "anti-village" by design.
"Last night, the Modi government demolished twenty years of MGNREGA in one day. VB-G RAM G isn't a 'revamp' of MGNREGA. It demolishes the rights-based, demand-driven guarantee and turns it into a rationed scheme which is controlled from Delhi. It is anti-state and anti-village by design," Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Friday criticised the move, saying many states are already burdened with debt and that the Centre has raised the funding ratio to 60:40 for most of them.
He argued that the legislation does not adequately serve the interests of labourers and questioned the decision to rename the MGNREGA Act. Aujla also alleged that the Centre has claimed lineage from Nathuram Godse.
"The states are already debt-ridden and the funding ratio for most states has been increased to a 60:40 split between the Centre and states...This is not a decision in the best interests of the labourers and why did they remove the name of Mahatma Gandhi?... This shows their thinking. They are descendants of Nathuram Godse," Aujla told ANI.
While the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday night, the opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha before the bill seeking to replace MGNREGA was passed. They pressed that the bill should be sent to a Select Committee.They demanded that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sharply criticised the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, asserting that the original MGNREGA scheme, structured with the Centre paying the bulk of funds (often referred to as 90%), was the backbone of the rural economy and the greatest support for very poor people facing employment difficulties.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Friday slammed the government's hasty passage of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Bill), which reframes MGNREGA, amid uproar in both Houses of Parliament.
He contrasted the bill's introduction, details of which he claims the opposition knew only days prior, against MGNREGA's enactment in 2005, which involved years of deliberation, a Standing Committee review, and unanimous bipartisan support.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Friday criticised the central government, stating that the bill was passed only because the government had a majority in the House. He further claimed that the government will eventually remove Mahatma Gandhi's photograph from currency notes.
The Congress Lok Sabha MPs also held a meeting at the CPP Office at 10:30 am, following the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025 (Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)) in both houses of Parliament.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the bill will play an essential role in the welfare of the poor. He accused Congress of disrespecting Mahatma Gandhi's ideals.
The Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10.Opposing the Bill, Congress announced a series of nationwide protests on December 17, accusing the BJP and RSS of attempting to "dismantle rights-based welfare".
Earlier today, amid opposition protests over the passage of the VB-G Ram G Bill, Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die by Speaker Om Birla on Friday after Vande Mataram was played in the House.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who returned from a three-nation visit yesterday, was present in the House today.
Rajya Sabha chairman Vice-President C.P Radhakrishnan adjourned the Upper House of Parliament shortly after it resumed at 11 am today. Prior to its adjournment, statements and reports were laid on the table of the House.
While adjourning the Rajya Sabha sine die, Radhakrishnan said "The conduct of members during the Minister's reply yesterday, which including protesting and tearing of papers, was unbecoming of the House, and expresses the wish that they reflect on their behaviour."