Opposition MPs March in Parliament Against New Rural Jobs Bill, Demand Withdrawal

Several opposition Members of Parliament on Thursday staged a protest march inside the Parliament House complex against the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, demanding that the proposed legislation be withdrawn.

Carrying a large banner reading “Mahatma Gandhi NREGA”, the MPs marched from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar, raising slogans against the government. Senior leaders from multiple opposition parties took part in the protest, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, DMK MPs K Kanimozhi, T R Baalu and A Raja, IUML leader E T Mohammed Basheer, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant and RSP’s N K Premchandran.

The protest came just hours after the Lok Sabha concluded a lengthy discussion on the VB-G RAM G Bill, which aims to replace the nearly 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The debate on the bill continued past midnight on Wednesday, with 98 MPs participating, and the House was adjourned at around 1.35 am. Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is expected to reply to the debate later on Thursday.

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also joined the protest at Makar Dwar, standing in solidarity with opposition MPs.

After the demonstration, Kharge accused the government of attacking both Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and the constitutional right to work. In a post on X, he said the Modi government had insulted the Father of the Nation and weakened a law that played a crucial role in improving socio-economic conditions in rural India. He added that the opposition would continue its fight “from Parliament to the streets.”

Venugopal echoed similar concerns, alleging that democratic values were being eroded. Speaking to reporters, he said that removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the rural employment law amounted to an attack on the ideals and principles associated with the freedom movement.

Opposition parties have been united in opposing the bill, arguing that it dilutes key provisions of MGNREGA, which was enacted in 2005 during the UPA government’s tenure, and disrespects Mahatma Gandhi.

Under the proposed VB-G RAM G law, the government plans to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household willing to undertake unskilled manual work. The bill also requires states to frame schemes in line with the new law within six months of its implementation.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to hold a separate discussion on air pollution in the Delhi National Capital Region later on Thursday. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to initiate the debate, with DMK’s K Kanimozhi and BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj also set to raise the issue.