TMC MPs protest VB-G RAM G bill, slam Modi govt's 'bulldozer tactics'

TMC MPs Dola Sen and Sagarika Ghose led a 12-hour protest against the VB-G RAM G bill, which replaces MGNREGA. They accused the Modi govt of using 'bulldozer tactics' and disrespecting Mahatma Gandhi by passing the bill without consultation.

TMC MPs stage protest against new employment bill

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen on Friday said that the party 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. "We have to do this until Modi is here. We, the Opposition, walked out in protest, and we have been staging this protest here since last night. The protest started at 12 am last night and will end at 12 noon today. It is our responsibility to raise the voice of the people. We will not let them remove the MG analogy in merely five hours. This is our duty; that is why we are here," she said.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, while speaking about the protest, accused the Modi government of using "bulldozer tactics" to pass the Bill without consultations with the Opposition and of treating Parliament in a "cavalier manner".

Accusations of 'Bulldozer Tactics' and Insulting Mahatma Gandhi

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose said, "We have been sitting on a 12-hour dharna. We started at midnight, and our dharna will go on till 12 noon. We are sitting in dharna because of the manner in which the MGNREGA has been destroyed by the Modi Govt. It has been replaced by the VB- G RAM G Bill, but it was given to us just 5 hours before the government introduced it in the House. The Modi government is using bulldozer tactics to push through legislation. It is treating Parliament in a cavalier manner; it is not allowing any consultation with the Opposition parties; it is not holding meetings with the Opposition parties; you are just coming into Parliament and pushing through bulldozer tactics with these bills.

Also, in response to the renaming of MGNREGA as VB-G RAM G, she claimed that the Modi government had "assassinated" Mahatma Gandhi for the second time and that the government had "attacked" the poor through this bill. The TMC MP said, "By destroying this Bill, the Govt has attacked the rural poor; it has attacked the rural workers and insulted Mahatma Gandhi. The Modi Govt has assassinated Mahatma Gandhi for the second time..."

Bill Passed Amid Opposition Protests

The ongoing dharna is being held outside Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament complex against the Bill. 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.

Following the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill in both Houses and the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha till Friday afternoon, Opposition members protested the manner in which the government pushed the legislation through. Several TMC MPs, including Sagarika Ghose, Derek O'Brien, Sushmita Dev, Dola Sen, Ritabrata Banerjee, Mausam Noor and Prakash Chik Baraik, along with MPs from the INDIA bloc, were present at the protest site.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, who was also at the dharna, termed the passage of the Bill as "the second assassination of Mahatma Gandhi" and said it showed disrespect to Rabindranath Tagore, who had conferred the title 'Mahatma' on Gandhi.

Earlier on Friday, Opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha before the VB-G RAM G Bill, which seeks to replace MGNREGA, was passed. They demanded that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee.

Government's Stance and Bill Provisions

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Bill would play an important role in the welfare of the poor. He accused the Congress of showing disrespect to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

Key Features of the VB-G RAM G Bill

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. As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and the states will be 60:40. For the Northeastern states, Himalayan states and Union Territories, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, the ratio will be 90:10.

Section 6 of the Bill allows state governments to notify in advance a period aggregating up to 60 days in a financial year, covering peak agricultural seasons such as sowing and harvesting. (ANI)

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