The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, amid chaotic scenes and strong resistance from opposition parties. The debate turned acrimonious as opposition MPs accused the government of undermining Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and weakening the core principles of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which they described as a landmark social security law for rural India.
Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan strongly defended the legislation, rejecting the opposition’s claims and arguing that Mahatma Gandhi’s name was originally attached to NREGA for political reasons ahead of the 2009 general elections. He stated in the House that the scheme was initially introduced without Gandhi’s name and alleged that the Congress later invoked the Father of the Nation purely to gain electoral advantage. Chouhan asserted that MGNREGA had been implemented more effectively under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
During his reply to the nearly eight-hour-long discussion on the G RAM G Bill, Chouhan maintained that the current government was actively upholding Gandhian ideals through its development agenda. He said the National Democratic Alliance had translated Gandhi’s vision into reality through initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission and Ayushman Bharat, which, according to him, had improved dignity and living conditions for millions.
The minister also pushed back against criticism from Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who accused the Modi government of arbitrarily renaming welfare schemes. In response, Chouhan cited several flagship programmes bearing the names of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi to argue that the government respected historical figures while focusing on delivery and outcomes.
As tensions escalated, opposition MPs rushed to the well of the House, raising slogans against the government, tearing copies of the Bill and throwing them towards the Speaker’s chair. The disruption eventually forced Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House for the day shortly after the Bill was passed.
Earlier, opposition lawmakers had organised a protest march within the Parliament complex, demanding that the government withdraw the Bill. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the legislation as an affront to Mahatma Gandhi and warned that it weakened the constitutional right to work that had helped transform rural livelihoods across the country. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also joined the protest, standing alongside MPs at Makar Dwar.
The G RAM G Bill seeks to provide a legal guarantee of 125 days of wage employment each year to every rural household whose adult members are willing to undertake unskilled manual labour. The legislation further mandates that state governments bring their existing employment schemes in line with the new Act within six months of its implementation, setting a clear timeline for nationwide alignment.
