Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the G Ram G Bill, set to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), amid heavy uproar as Opposition MPs protested in the House, demanding that the legislation be sent to a standing committee for further scrutiny.
Opposition Protests and Walkout
Opposition members stormed the Well of the House after the Speaker ruled that the Bill had been sufficiently discussed. Several MPs tore copies of the Bill in protest, objecting strongly to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name and warning that the new legislation would place an additional financial burden on state governments. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DMK leader TR Baalu, and Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav were among those who opposed the Bill during the debate.
Government Defends the Bill
Defending the legislation, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the Congress of politicising names of laws and said the NDA government was focused on governance rather than symbolism. He argued that MGNREGA had become a tool for corruption and claimed the new law was drafted after consultations with stakeholders. Chouhan also rebutted claims that the government was obsessed with renaming schemes.
Speaker’s Warning and Passage of Bill
As protests escalated, Speaker Om Birla reprimanded Opposition members, saying Parliament was not a place to tear papers and that the nation was watching their conduct. Despite the disruption, the Bill was passed and will now be taken up in the Rajya Sabha for consideration.
Opposition Vows Continued Resistance
After the House was adjourned, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reiterated that the Opposition would strongly resist the Bill. She said the proposed law would weaken the rural employment guarantee framework and described it as anti-poor, arguing that states lacked the funds to bear the increased financial responsibility envisaged under the new scheme.
