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Rahul Gandhi calls G Ram G Bill 'anti-village', says it was 'bulldozed' through Parliament
Rahul Gandhi called out the G RAM G Bill claiming that proper time was not given to scrutinize the bill
Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday called out the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or the VB-G RAM G Bill, recently passed in the parliament, calling it “anti-village.” Gandhi further claimed that the law was bulldozed through the parliament without proper scrutiny.
Gandhi's comments came as opposition continued protests over the passage of the bill that replaces MGNREGA. Taking to his official X handle, Gandhi wrote that the bill is not a revamp of the MGNREGA, but destroys the “rights-based, demand-driven guarantee," and turns it into a rationed scheme which will be controlled from Delhi.
He said that the old MGNREGA gave rural workers options to bargain, which led to a reduction in exploitation and distress migration. However, the government wants to break this leverage, he added.
Talking about the effects of MGNREGA, Rahul Gandhi wrote that during COVID, this scheme helped crores from falling into hunger when the economy was shut down. It also helped women, who have contributed more than half the person-days.
Also read: VB-G RAM G Bill, that seeks to replace MGNREGA, gets Lok Sabha clearance amid Opposition protest
'Law passed without proper scrutiny'
Gandhi claimed that the law was “bulldozed” through parliament without adequate scrutiny. He added that the demand to send the bill to the standing committee was also rejected.
“A law that rewires the rural social contract, affecting crores of workers, should never be rammed through,” the X post read.
Also read: VB-G RAM G bill vs MGNREGA: Key differences, new initiatives & Opposition's concerns explained
Calling out the Modi government, Gandhi said that the government's target is to weaken the labour and leverage of rural India and sell slogans as “reform”.
The leader of the opposition expressed solidarity with the workers, panchayats and states to defeat this bill, and said, “We will not let this government destroy the rural poor’s last line of defence.”
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or the VB-G RAM G Bill, was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout from opposition and subsequent protests.
