Opposition leaders held a 12-hour sit-in protest within the Parliament complex on Thursday night, protesting the passage of the VB-G Ramji Bill. They argue that the bill attempts to replace the ongoing rural employment program under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
New Delhi: A significant political and social development unfolded in the Indian Parliament between Thursday and Friday night when opposition parties staged a 12-hour sit-in protest within the Parliament complex against the Developed India Guarantee Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), or VB-G RAM G Bill. The opposition alleges that this bill is an attempt to dismantle the country's largest rural employment scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The protest began Thursday night and continued until Friday morning. It included Members of Parliament from several opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The protestors accused the government of adopting policies that are anti-poor, anti-farmer, and anti-worker, and warned that if the bill is not withdrawn, the movement will be taken to the streets across the country.
Bill Passed in Rajya Sabha After Midnight
Despite b opposition, the VB-G RAM G Bill 2025 was passed by Parliament. Following Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha also gave its approval to the bill after midnight. The government states that the new mission will make employment and livelihood opportunities in rural areas "more effective and sustainable." However, the opposition views it as a conspiracy to weaken or eliminate MGNREGA.
Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghosh said during the sit-in that the Modi government has taken away the security shield from the country's poor by ending MGNREGA. She stated, "We are holding a 12-hour sit-in because the anti-people government has abolished NREGA. This is not only an attack on the livelihood of the poor, but also an insult to great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. NREGA was a lifeline for the most vulnerable sections of the country."
Sharp Attack from Congress
Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the day as "the saddest day for India's workforce." He accused the government of jeopardizing the livelihood of about 12 crore people by abolishing MGNREGA. Surjewala said, "This decision proves that the BJP government is anti-farmer and anti-poor. Eliminating a scheme that guarantees employment is against social justice."
MGNREGA was implemented in 2005 and is considered one of the world's largest employment guarantee schemes. Under this scheme, rural families had a legal right to at least 100 days of employment per year. During the pandemic and economic crisis, this scheme provided income support to crores of families.
