‘Modi ji has deep hatred for Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas, rights of the poor’: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the Viksit Bharat ndash Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Bill or the VBG RAMG Bill which seeks to replace Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act MGNREGA as an ldquoinsult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhirdquo news agency ANI reportedLaunching a sharp attack on Prime Minister PM Narendra Modi for removing Mahatma Gandhirsquos name from the flagship rural employment scheme the Congress leader alleged that the Centre had first weakened MGNREGA and was now attempting to dismantle it altogetherIn a post on X Rahul Gandhi said ldquoModi ji has a deep hatred for two things ndash the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor MGNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhirsquos dream of village selfrule ndash it is a lifeline for millions of rural lives which also proved to be their economic safety shield during the COVID era However Prime Minister Modi has always been irritated by this scheme and for the past ten years he has been trying to weaken it Today he is determined to wipe out MGNREGA completelyrdquoModi ji has a deep dislike for two things the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poorMGNREGA is the living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhirsquos vision of Gram Swaraj It has been a lifeline for millions of rural Indians and proved to be a crucial economic safety nethellipmdash Rahul Gandhi RahulGandhi December 16 2025The Congress lawmaker also criticised the proposed 6040 funding pattern between the Union and state governments and the provision allowing suspension of work during peak agricultural seasons ANI reportedExplaining his objections he said ldquoThe foundation of MGNREGA was based on three core ideas One the right to employment ndash whoever demands work will get it Two freedom for villages to decide their own development works Three the central government will bear the full cost of wages and 75 per cent of the material costsrdquoHe alleged that the proposed changes would concentrate power with the CentreWill oppose this antipeople bill from village lanes all the way to Parliament Rahul GandhildquoNow Prime Minister Modi wants to change this very MGNREGA to concentrate all power solely in his own hands One the Centre will decide the budget schemes and rules Two states will be forced to bear 40 per cent of the expenses Three as soon as the budget is exhausted or during the crop harvest season no one will get work for two monthsrdquo stated the former Congress presidentAnnouncing his partyrsquos stand Rahul said the Bill would be opposed both inside and outside the ParliamentldquoThis new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi The Modi government has already destroyed the future of Indiarsquos youth through severe unemployment and now this bill is a means to eliminate the secure livelihood of the rural poor as well We will oppose this antipeople bill from the village lanes all the way to Parliamentrdquo his social media post addedThe Opposition has objected to the Bill for changing the schemersquos name and removing Mahatma Gandhirsquos association with it Congress Member of Parliament MP and Rahulrsquos sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with other Opposition lawmakers staged a protest on the Parliament premises earlier in the day PTI reportedThe Bill introduced by the Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Lok Sabha proposes to guarantee 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 costsharing ratio between the Centre and states will be 6040 while for North Eastern states Himalayan states and Uttarakhand Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir it will be 9010Section 6 of the Bill allows state governments to notify in advance a period aggregating to 60 days in a financial year covering peak sowing and harvesting seasons during which no work will be undertaken under the schemeEarlier Gandhi Vadra strongly opposed the Bill asserting that it would ldquoweakenrdquo the original MGNREGA and undermine its assured 100 days of employmentParticipating in the Lok Sabha debate the Wayanad MP said legislation should not be rushed through Parliament without adequate consultation or discussion alleging that the Bill was being pushed through due to ldquopersonal obsessionrdquo or ldquobiasrdquoldquoThe bill should not be rushed through without proper consultation with the House or any discussion It ought to be withdrawn and the government should introduce a new billrdquo she statedReferring to Mahatma Gandhi she added ldquoAlthough Mahatma Gandhi was not personally related to me he was like family This is the emotion of the entire nation This bill should be referred to the Standing Committee for detailed examination No legislation should be pushed through merely due to personal obsession or biasrdquoWith inputs from ANI