Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has launched a sharp attack on the recently passed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, describing it as harmful to rural India. Speaking amid growing opposition protests, Gandhi accused the government of rushing the legislation through Parliament without adequate discussion or examination.
The bill, also known as the VB-G RAM G Bill, replaces the long-standing MGNREGA scheme. According to Gandhi, the new framework fundamentally alters the nature of rural employment support, stripping it of protections that once empowered workers at the grassroots level.
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‘Not A Revamp, But A Rollback’: Gandhi
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…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 19, 2025
In a post shared on his official X handle, Gandhi argued that the legislation does not modernise MGNREGA but dismantles its core principles. He said the earlier programme was a “rights-based, demand-driven guarantee,” while the new bill converts it into a centrally controlled, rationed scheme managed from Delhi.
He pointed out that MGNREGA had given rural workers bargaining power, helping curb exploitation and reduce distress migration. According to Gandhi, the government now seeks to weaken this leverage by redesigning the system in a way that limits worker choice and autonomy.
Impact On Workers, Women Highlighted
Gandhi also underlined the role MGNREGA played during the COVID-19 crisis, stating that it prevented crores of people from slipping into hunger when economic activity came to a halt. He highlighted the significant participation of women, who accounted for more than half of the total person-days generated under the scheme.
Allegations Of Rushed Passage
Raising procedural concerns, Gandhi claimed that the bill was “bulldozed” through Parliament without sufficient scrutiny. He noted that opposition demands to refer the legislation to a standing committee were turned down.
“A law that rewires the rural social contract, affecting crores of workers, should never be rammed through,” the X post read.
Calling the move a threat to rural labour rights, Gandhi accused the Modi government of weakening village-level protections under the guise of reform. He reaffirmed his support for workers, panchayats and state governments opposing the bill, adding, “We will not let this government destroy the rural poor’s last line of defence.”
The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid an opposition walkout, followed by protests both inside and outside Parliament.
