Launching a sharp attack on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the flagship rural employment scheme, the Congress leader alleged that the Centre had first weakened MGNREGA and was now attempting to dismantle it altogether
Announcing the Congress' stand, Rahul Gandhi said the Bill would be opposed both inside and outside the Parliament. File pic
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday termed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, or the VB-G RAM-G Bill, which seeks to replace Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), as an “insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi”, news agency ANI reported.
Launching a sharp attack on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the flagship rural employment scheme, the Congress leader alleged that the Centre had first weakened MGNREGA and was now attempting to dismantle it altogether.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Modi ji has a deep hatred for two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor. MGNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of village self-rule – it is a lifeline for millions of rural lives, which also proved to be their economic safety shield during the COVID era. However, Prime Minister Modi has always been irritated by this scheme, and for the past ten years, he has been trying to weaken it. Today, he is determined to wipe out MGNREGA completely.”
Modi ji has a deep dislike for two things - the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 16, 2025
MGNREGA is the living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj. It has been a lifeline for millions of rural Indians and proved to be a crucial economic safety net…
The Congress lawmaker also criticised the proposed 60:40 funding pattern between the Union and state governments and the provision allowing suspension of work during peak agricultural seasons, ANI reported.
Explaining his objections, he said, “The foundation of MGNREGA was based on three core ideas. One, the right to employment – whoever demands work will get it. Two, freedom for villages to decide their own development works. Three, the central government will bear the full cost of wages and 75 per cent of the material costs.”
He alleged that the proposed changes would concentrate power with the Centre.
Will oppose this anti-people bill from village lanes all the way to Parliament: Rahul Gandhi
“Now, Prime Minister Modi wants to change this very MGNREGA to concentrate all power solely in his own hands. One, the Centre will decide the budget, schemes and rules. Two, states will be forced to bear 40 per cent of the expenses. Three, as soon as the budget is exhausted or during the crop harvest season, no one will get work for two months,” stated the former Congress president.
Announcing his party’s stand, Rahul said the Bill would be opposed both inside and outside the Parliament.
“This new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. The Modi government has already destroyed the future of India’s youth through severe unemployment, and now this bill is a means to eliminate the secure livelihood of the rural poor as well. We will oppose this anti-people bill from the village lanes all the way to Parliament,” his social media post added.
The Opposition has objected to the Bill for changing the scheme’s name and removing Mahatma Gandhi’s association with it. Congress Member of Parliament (MP) and Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other Opposition lawmakers, staged a protest on the Parliament premises earlier in the day, PTI reported.
The Bill, introduced by the Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Lok Sabha, proposes to guarantee 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 cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and states will be 60:40, while for North Eastern states, Himalayan states and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, it will be 90:10.
Section 6 of the Bill allows state governments to notify in advance a period aggregating to 60 days in a financial year, covering peak sowing and harvesting seasons, during which no work will be undertaken under the scheme.
Earlier, Gandhi Vadra strongly opposed the Bill, asserting that it would “weaken” the original MGNREGA and undermine its assured 100 days of employment.
Participating in the Lok Sabha debate, the Wayanad MP said legislation should not be rushed through Parliament without adequate consultation or discussion, alleging that the Bill was being pushed through due to “personal obsession” or “bias”.
“The bill should not be rushed through without proper consultation with the House or any discussion. It ought to be withdrawn, and the government should introduce a new bill,” she stated.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, she added, “Although Mahatma Gandhi was not personally related to me, he was like family. This is the emotion of the entire nation. This bill should be referred to the Standing Committee for detailed examination. No legislation should be pushed through merely due to personal obsession or bias.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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