Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government, accusing them of assaulting the interests of India's poor by effectively "running a bulldozer over MGNREGA". Her criticism came as a direct response to the passage of the contentious Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which repeals the two-decade-old rural jobs scheme.
A Lifeline Weakened: The Core Allegation
Sonia Gandhi alleged that for the past eleven years, the Modi administration has consistently worked to weaken the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). She stated that the government has neglected the rural unemployed, the poor, and marginalised sections, despite the scheme proving to be a critical lifeline for these very groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"While the Congress played a major role in bringing MGNREGA into existence and implementing it, the scheme was never about a political party. It was about national interest and public welfare," the former Congress president asserted. She claimed that by diluting this law, the Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, workers, and landless rural poor across the country.
Parliamentary Turmoil and the New Bill
The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed during the recent Winter Session of Parliament amidst fierce protests from the opposition, particularly the INDIA bloc. The opposition had demanded that the bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny. They also assailed the government for removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the flagship rural employment guarantee scheme.
The protests escalated when Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan began his reply in the Rajya Sabha, ignoring Congress MP KC Venugopal's demand for the bill to be examined by a committee. Opposition members trooped into the well of the House, tore copies of the bill, and continued their protest until it was passed. The bill now awaits the President's assent to become law.
Government's Defence and What VB-G RAM G Entails
Defending the legislation, Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan argued that the new law substantially improves upon MGNREGA, which he claimed was "riddled" with corruption and inefficiency. The government has positioned the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, as a major overhaul aimed at aligning rural employment and development with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The proposed law establishes a new statutory framework that guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, provided adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. This replaces the 100-day guarantee under MGNREGA, framing it as a modernised version of the rural jobs program.
The political battle over this legislation highlights a deep ideological divide on how to address rural distress and unemployment. While the government frames it as a necessary upgrade, the opposition condemns it as an erasure of a seminal social security net for India's most vulnerable populations.
