Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil criticises VB-G-RAM-G Bill, calls it an Insult to rural labourers

Speaking to ANI, Senthil said, "Name change is not a big issue. It is, of course, an insult to the father of the nation. But what they have done is they have murdered the dignity of the rural agricultural labourers. They have brought everybody back to the old feudal system."

The Congress MP accused the government of disregarding the interests of rural workers and questioned the intent behind the legislation, asserting that it would adversely impact the livelihoods and dignity of agricultural labourers across the country.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday slammed the central government over the passing of Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, also known as the VB-G RAM G Bill, calling it a "conspiracy" to end "MGNREGA."

"This Bill is a conspiracy by the Govt to end MGNREGA... No State Govt will be able to provide 40% of the funds. So, the scheme will not be able to be implemented..." he said.

Earlier, the Parliament on Friday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, with Rajya Sabha approving the legislation after it got the nod of the Lok Sabha.

The opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha before the bill seeking to replace MGNREGA was passed. They pressed that the bill should be sent to a Select Committee.

They demanded that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee.

Afterwards, the members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are staging a 12-hour dharna (sit-in protest) against the passing of the VB G-RAM-G Bill.

The ongoing dharna, which started at 12 am, will conclude at 12 noon today. It is being held outside Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament complex against the Bill. The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 2025, and was later cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of December 19 amid strong opposition.

Following the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill in both Houses and the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha till Friday afternoon, Opposition members protested the way the government pushed the legislation through.

Several TMC MPs, including Sagarika Ghose, Derek O'Brien, Sushmita Dev, Dola Sen, Ritabrata Banerjee, Mausam Noor and Prakash Chik Baraik, along with MPs from the INDIA bloc, were present at the protest site.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, who was also at the dharna, termed the passage of the Bill as "the second assassination of Mahatma Gandhi" and said it showed disrespect to Rabindranath Tagore, who had conferred the title 'Mahatma' on Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Bill would play an important role in the welfare of the poor. He accused the Congress of disrespecting the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Bill guarantees 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 fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and the states will be 60:40. For the Northeastern states, Himalayan states, and Union Territories, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, the ratio will be 90:10.Section 6 of the Bill allows state governments to notify in advance a period aggregating up to 60 days in a financial year, covering peak agricultural seasons such as sowing and harvesting. (ANI)