Govt will remove Gandhi's photo from notes, claims Samajwadi Party MP

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad slammed the Centre over the VB--G RAM G Bill, claiming they'll remove Gandhi's photo from currency. Opposition parties, including TMC, staged protests against the bill, which replaces MGNREGA.

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Friday slammed the central government, stating that the bill was passed only because they had a majority in the House. He further claimed that sooner or later, the government will remove Mahatma Gandhi's photograph from the currency notes. "The bill was passed because they hold a majority in the House, but removing Mahatma Gandhi's name is an insult and a dishonour... Sooner or later, they will also remove Mahatma Gandhi's picture from the currency notes, as they seem to have nothing left to do other than changing names..." he said.

Opposition Raises Concerns on New Bill

The remark follows the passing of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill in both Houses on Friday. Moreover, Samajwadi Party MP Sudhakar Singh said that the scheme has collapsed due to the increase in states' share, and the weaker states would fail to benefit from the scheme. "There were demands to increase the 100-day employment provision to 200 days and to include farmers within this scheme. However, the entire law has now been changed. The scheme has collapsed due to an increase in the states' share. States with low budgets will now be unable to benefit from this scheme..." he stated.

Protests Erupt in Parliament

Meanwhile, members of the opposition staged a protest against the passing of the VB--G RAM G Bill in the Parliament premises today. Earlier, members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also held a 12-hour dharna (sit-in protest) against the passing of the VB-G RAM G Bill. It started at 12 am and concluded at 12 noon today. The dharna was held outside Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament complex against the Bill.

Bill Passed Amid Strong Opposition

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 2025, and was later cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of December 19 amid strong opposition. Earlier, the Parliament on Friday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB--G RAM G) Bill, with Rajya Sabha approving the legislation after it got the nod of the Lok Sabha. The opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha before the bill seeking to replace MGNREGA was passed, and demanded that the bill be sent to the Select Committee. The 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.

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