Opposition Holds Overnight Protest Against VB-G RAM G Bill

In protest of the passing of the VB-G RAM G bill, which aims to replace the MGNREGA rural employment program, opposition leaders held a 12-hour overnight protest dharna in the Parliament building on Thursday night. They also threatened to take to the streets nationwide.

While opposition MPs sat on a 12-hour dharna in the Parliament premises, Sagarika Ghose, deputy leader of the Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha, accused the Union administration of destroying the VB-G RAM G law.

Despite opposition protests, Parliament enacted the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which was approved by the Rajya Sabha after midnight.

Ghose said the manner in which the Modi government has brought in this completely "anti-poor, anti-people, anti-farmer, anti-rural poor" VBGRG bill, and has done away with the MGNREGA.

"This is an insult to India's poor, it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, it is an insult to Rabindranath Tagore. With just five hours' notice, this bill was given to us. We were not allowed a proper debate," Ghose said.

"Our demand was such an important bill should be sent to the Select Committee and let the opposition parties examine it, let the opposition parties discuss it, let all stakeholders discuss it, but no, in a display of tyranny, in a murder of democracy," she said.

"We are now going to sit on a 12-hour dharna, 12-hour dharna against the manner in which the Modi government has brought this black law against the people of India, against the poor of India, against the rural poor of India," she said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the day a "sad day for the country's labour force and accused the Modi government as anti-farmer and anti-poor.

"This is perhaps the saddest day for the labourers of India. The BJP government has attacked the livelihood of 12 crore people by repealing the MGNREGA. They have proved that the Modi government is anti-farmer and anti-poor," he alleged.

Congress leader Mukul Wasnik said, "When MGNREGA was drafted, consultations were held for 14 months. It was passed by Parliament with consensus. The scheme would put an extreme burden on states. As a result, this scheme will collapse." DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said they shifted the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar to the back side of Parliament, where people cannot see.

"Likewise, they have removed Mahatma Gandhi's name himself. Without Gandhi, there is no freedom; that is the total belief in this country. Even in the British Parliament, we have a Gandhi statue, but here in the Indian parliament, his statue is hidden somewhere, and now the scheme which bore his name, his name has also been removed," he claimed.

He said the entire opposition is agitated, he noted