New Delhi, December 17, 2025 – In a fiery speech that ignited fierce opposition protests in the Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday lambasted the Narendra Modi government for introducing the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025—derisively dubbed the "VB-G RAM G Bill"—claiming it undermines Mahatma Gandhi's cherished ideal of Ram Rajya and insults the Father of the Nation.
The bill, tabled on Tuesday amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, seeks to repeal and replace the flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005, a cornerstone UPA-era scheme providing 100 days of wage employment to rural households. Critics, including Moitra, argue the renaming and restructuring communalize a secular welfare program by invoking "Ram" in its acronym, while diluting its core guarantees.
"This is not an amendment; you are replacing it with a VB-G RAM G bill," Moitra thundered during her intervention, her voice echoing through the chamber as opposition MPs rushed to the Well of the House, brandishing photographs of Gandhi in a dramatic show of defiance. "Gandhiji wanted Ram Rajya, but not the kind of G-Ram-G that this government thinks of. They have tarnished the name of Lord Ram... How low will this government stoop? They are insulting our Father of the Nation."
Moitra's salvo, delivered just hours into the day's proceedings, amplified a chorus of outrage from across the opposition spectrum. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party colleague Shashi Tharoor led the charge, with Vadra accusing the bill of "erasing Gandhi's legacy" to push a "divisive agenda." Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik went further, provocatively alleging the move aimed to supplant Gandhi's name with that of his assassin, Nathuram Godse—a charge that drew sharp rebuttals from treasury benches.
The confrontation peaked as Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House briefly amid slogan-shouting and desk-thumping. Congress MP KC Venugopal and others decried the bill as an "insult to Mahatma Gandhi," emphasizing its potential to weaken rural livelihoods by tying employment to "mission-mode" targets rather than statutory rights.
Government defenders, including Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, countered that the VB-G RAM G Bill modernizes MGNREGA under the "Viksit Bharat" vision, enhancing skill development, women's participation, and digital integration without slashing funding. "This is about empowering the poor, not politics," Chouhan stated, dismissing opposition claims as "baseless fear-mongering." The minister highlighted that the scheme's allocation has surged from ₹40,000 crore in 2014 to over ₹1 lakh crore today, crediting it for lifting millions out of poverty.
Moitra, undeterred, painted a stark picture of the bill's implications. "Na kisi ka saath, na kisi ka vikas—this is not with anyone, or for any person’s development. This is not for Ram or Rahim," she declared, invoking India's syncretic ethos. She argued the original MGNREGA, inspired by Gandhi's emphasis on self-reliant villages, had been a lifeline during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, generating over 2.5 billion person-days of work annually. The new framework, she warned, risks turning it into a "discretionary dole" vulnerable to political whims.
The episode underscores deepening fault lines in Parliament over welfare reforms, with the opposition framing the bill as symbolic of the BJP's alleged "saffronization" of institutions. As the session hurtles toward its December 22 close, the VB-G RAM G Bill faces a gauntlet in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA lacks a majority. Analysts predict heated debates and possible amendments, with rural distress—a key 2024 election flashpoint—poised to dominate headlines.
For now, Moitra's unfiltered rhetoric has gone viral, with clips of her speech amassing millions of views on social media, reigniting national discourse on Gandhi's enduring legacy versus contemporary governance. "We’ll not tolerate insults against Gandhi," she concluded, a sentiment resonating far beyond the marbled halls of Parliament.
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