Rahul Gandhi Launches Nationwide Protest Against Controversial G RAM G Bill
Opposition Leader's Strong Stand
In New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, announced on Friday his intention to initiate a countrywide movement against the Viksit Bharat, Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill. He criticized the government for pushing the bill through Parliament without sufficient examination and discussion.
Just a day prior, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had vowed to lead a nationwide protest against what he termed the Centre's 'dictatorial approach' in advancing the G RAM G Bill, which aims to replace the MGNREGA.
Gandhi emphasized that MGNREGA has been a highly effective program for alleviating poverty and asserted that he and his party would not allow the Modi administration to dismantle the last safety net for the rural poor.
He stated, 'We will unite with workers, panchayats, and states to oppose this initiative and create a national coalition to ensure the repeal of this law.'
Expressing his discontent with the rapid passage of the G RAM G Bill through both Houses, he claimed that the Modi government effectively dismantled two decades of MGNREGA in a single day. He also criticized the new scheme's 'anti-state and anti-village' nature, which is set to replace the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Since its introduction, the G RAM G Bill has sparked intense debate between the ruling party and the Opposition, with the latter accusing the government of erasing the legacy of the Father of the Nation. The Lok Sabha passed the bill on Thursday amid significant uproar from the Opposition, and it was subsequently approved by the Rajya Sabha after discussions that extended into the early hours of Friday.
Gandhi dismissed the government's assertion that G RAM G is merely an extension of MGNREGA, taking to social media to express his views in a detailed post.
Last night, the Modi government demolished twenty years of MGNREGA in one day.
VB–G RAM G isn’t a “revamp” of MGNREGA. It demolishes the rights-based, demand-driven guarantee and turns it into a rationed scheme which is controlled from Delhi. It is anti-state and anti-village…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 19, 2025
He further argued that by limiting work opportunities and introducing more barriers to access, the VB-G RAM G would undermine the one tool that the rural poor rely on.
'We witnessed the significance of MGNREGA during the COVID pandemic. When the economy came to a halt and livelihoods were at risk, it prevented millions from succumbing to hunger and debt,' he remarked.
Highlighting the program's benefits for impoverished households, particularly women, he noted that they have consistently been among the largest beneficiaries of MGNREGA.
He pointed out that women have contributed over half of the total workdays year after year, and it is they, along with Dalits, Adivasis, landless laborers, and the most disadvantaged OBC communities, who will suffer the most from this change.
Gandhi also criticized the Modi government for ignoring the Opposition's concerns regarding the contentious bill, accusing the Centre of forcing it through Parliament.
'This law was rushed through without proper examination. The Opposition's request to refer the bill to a Standing Committee was denied. A law that alters the rural social contract and impacts millions of workers should never be passed without thorough committee review, expert input, and public hearings,' he concluded.