Opposition MPs protest in Parliament against proposed rural jobs Bill

Several Opposition members of Parliament on Thursday staged a protest march within the Parliament House complex against the proposed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, demanding its withdrawal and accusing the government of undermining the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the right to work.

Holding a large banner referring to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the MPs marched from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar, raising slogans against the government.

The protest was led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who said the opposition would resist the move both inside Parliament and on the streets.

Senior leaders who joined the demonstration included Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, DMK MPs Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, T R Baalu and A Raja, IUML leader E T Mohammed Basheer, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant and RSP leader N K Premachandran, among others.

In a post on X after the protest, Kharge alleged that the government had insulted Mahatma Gandhi and weakened the right to work, which he said had played a key role in the socio-economic transformation of rural India. “Against this tyranny of a dictatorial ruling government, we will fight from Parliament to the streets,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also joined the protesting MPs and participated in the demonstrations at Makar Dwar.

Addressing reporters, Venugopal said Parliament was witnessing an erosion of democratic values. He accused the government of attempting to dilute the ideology associated with Mahatma Gandhi by removing his name from the rural employment scheme.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which seeks to replace the UPA-era MGNREGA, is currently under debate in Parliament. The proposed legislation provides for a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.

Under the Bill, states will be required to frame schemes in line with the new law within six months of its commencement. The Opposition, however, has continued to oppose the proposal, arguing that it dilutes the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, and diminishes its intent.

With PTI inputs