Opposition to stage walkout during passage of VB-G RAM G Bill in Lok Sabha
After days of protests, the Opposition MPs on Wednesday decided not to cooperate during the passage of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VBG Ram G Bill) in the Lok Sabha. According to sources, the Opposition MPs will stage a walkout during the passage of the Bill. The decision was taken at a meeting of the INDIA blocs floor leaders on Wednesday. All constituent parties of the INDIA alliance, except Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) was present at the meeting. The Opposition has also decided to attend and raise their disagreement on the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill , which seeks to open the tightly-controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation. Opposition leaders have warned that the Bills could have far-reaching consequences, potentially undermining rural livelihoods and handing strategic sectors over to corporate interests. The Lok Sabha witnessed strong protests from the Opposition on Tuesday after the government introduced the VB-G RAM G Bill. Several MPs accused the Centre of dismantling a rights-based welfare scheme and undermining Mahatma Gandhis legacy. They also demanded that the Bill, which seeks to replace the two-decade-old MGNREGA, be referred to a standing committee. Leading the Opposition attack, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi warned that the proposed law would dilute the legal guarantee of employment and place a heavier financial burden on states. She alleged that the Bill would give the Centre the power to pre-determine fund allocation, effectively ending the demand-driven nature of the scheme and violating the spirit of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. The TMC and the DMK, echoed the criticism, objecting to the removal of Gandhis name and the shift from a demand-driven to a supply-driven framework. After staging a walkout, Opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and DMK MP T.R. Baalu, protested at Mahatma Gandhis statue in the Parliament complex, raising slogans such as the country will not tolerate this insult to Mahatma Gandhi.
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