In a dramatic late-night session, the Rajya Sabha passed the contentious VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, on December 19, 2025, amidst loud protests and sharp warnings from the Opposition. The Bill, which had already been cleared by the Lok Sabha earlier that day, was introduced by Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and approved around half an hour past midnight.
Opposition Sounds Alarm, Evokes Farm Law Protests
The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, led the charge against the legislation. He strongly asserted that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) was fundamentally aligned with Article 41 of the Constitution and the principle of ensuring food security for the poor. Accusing the government of undermining these basic rights, Kharge issued a stark warning.
"Your intent behind this is what? To weaken the poor... One day you will have to face a time similar to when you retracted the three 'black farm laws'. Do you want another agitation?... People will come onto the streets, will face bullets, but we will keep fighting," Kharge declared, directly referencing the massive farmer protests that led to the repeal of the agricultural reform laws.
Debate Centers on Federalism and Worker Rights
Other Opposition members echoed these concerns, focusing on procedural and substantive flaws. Congress MP Mukul Wasnik argued the Bill was a "political weapon" rather than a pro-people measure. He highlighted a key change: the cost-sharing arrangement between the Centre and states for MNREGA has been altered from a 90-10 ratio to 60-40. "Did the government speak to states before deciding this? They will be burdened more... a federal system cannot work like this," Wasnik stated.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh accused the BJP government of being "anti-labour," citing the consolidation of labour laws into codes and claiming it snatched away the right to form trade unions. He dismissed the increase in guaranteed work days from 100 to 125 as a "lollypop" without allocated funds.
RJD's Manoj Jha criticized the lack of consultation, saying the legislation "smacks of a kind of arrogance which comes from a sense of following majoritarian politics." TMC's Derek O'Brien called it a product of a "feudal mindset," converting a right into a pre-election dole.
Government Defends Bill as Path to 'Viksit Bharat'
Defending the legislation, BJP MP Indu Bala Goswami said it aimed at the all-round development of rural areas and empowering the rural economy. "Stronger rural infrastructure will increase access to urban areas; increasing rural production is the aim of the Bill which will be done by panchayats," she explained.
She framed the changes as a commitment to connect rural India with the vision of a developed nation (Viksit Bharat). Taking a political dig, she added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had genuinely implemented Mahatma Gandhi's principles in his schemes, unlike the Congress which used his name for political gain.
The passage of the Bill, set against the backdrop of a tense Parliament session and warnings of public unrest, sets the stage for continued political confrontation over rural employment and federal rights in India.
