Gandhi assassinated again by dropping name from NREGA, says TMC MP

TMC's Dola Sen accused the BJP of disrespecting freedom fighters and 'assassinating' Mahatma Gandhi again by dropping his name from NREGA via the new VB-G RAM G Bill. The opposition protested the bill, citing a 40% financial burden on states.

'BJP Has No Respect for Gandhi': Dola Sen

TMC MP Dola Sen on Friday criticised the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that the party was not a part of the freedom struggle and hence does not respect freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi. "BJP people were not a part of the freedom movement, so they have no respect for Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters," she said.

She further stated that Mahatma Gandhi was again assassinated when the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, also known as the VB-G RAM G Bill, was passed in the Parliament. "Their predecessor, Nathuram Godse, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, and these people respect him. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, and yesterday he was assassinated once again in the House because his name was dropped from NREGA..." she added.

Opposition Stages Walkout, Protests Bill

The TMC MP highlighted that 40% of the economic responsibility of the Bill falls upon the state government. The opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha before the VB G-RAM-G Bill seeking to replace MGNREGA was passed. They pressed that the bill should be sent to a Select Committee. "Earlier, it was unconditional...Now, they say that 40% of its economic responsibility falls on the State Govt... We wanted the Bill to be sent to the Select Committee and that there should be no haste, but they are not democratic...So, we sloganeered and walked out. We are on a dharna from 12 am last night to 12 noon today," she said.

Meanwhile, TMC has been holding a 12-hour protest against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, also known as the VB-G RAM G Bill, since 12 am on Friday. The ongoing dharna is taking place outside Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament complex against the Bill.

About the VB-G RAM G Bill

Meanwhile, the VB-G RAM G Bill guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.

As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10. Section 6 of the Bill allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting.

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