Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has often earned the ire of his party for speaking in support of the Modi government, slammed the Centre on Tuesday (December 16) over the VB-G RAM G Bill in the Lok Sabha, describing it as an “assault on the very spirit” of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Tharoor Bollywood dig at VB-G RAM G
Tharoor, known for his eloquence, took a dig at the Centre over the naming of the Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, saying that it reminds him of the 1971 hit Bollywood number, “Dekho o deewano (tum) ye kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnaam na karo” (“Listen, you misguided ones-don’t do this. Don’t bring disgrace to the name of Ram).
Also Read: Shashi Tharoor calls row over Centre’s MGNREGA replacement bid ‘unfortunate’
Dubbing the VB-G RAM G Bill a “deeply regrettable and retrograde step” for the country, Tharoor said that it jeopardises India’s commitment to the welfare of its most vulnerable citizens.
“My first objection, as with others, is the ill-advised decision to remove the name of the Father of the Nation, for the reasons already stated, which I will not repeat. But this is not merely an administrative tweak, it is an assault on the very spirit and philosophical foundation of this crucial programme,” he said.
‘Ram Rajya never a purely political project’
Asserting that Gandhi’s vision of Ram Rajya was never a purely political project, the former Union minister said it was a socio-economic blueprint rooted in the empowerment of villages, and his unwavering faith in Gram Swaraj was part of his vision of Ram Rajya.
Also Read: ‘PM Modi opposed to Gandhi’s ideas’, says Rahul on MGNREGA replacement bid
“The original Act, by bearing his name, acknowledged this profound connection — that true employment guarantee and upliftment must flow from the grassroots, embodying his principle of the last person first. To remove the name of Mahatma Gandhi is to strip the bill of its moral compass and historical legitimacy,” Tharoor said.
“Then to have two languages in the title just to make the acronym G RAM G is not just a violation of Article 348, as pointed out in the previous discussion, but it also reminds me of a song from my childhood — ‘Dekho o deewano (tum) ye kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnaam na karo’,” he added.
The backdrop
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections from the opposition over the “removal” of Gandhi’s name from it.
Also Read: ‘Gandhi not from my family’: Priyanka slams Modi Govt’s ‘renaming obsession’
Introducing the bill, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Centre not only believes in Gandhi but also follows his principles. “The (Narendra) Modi government has done more for rural development than previous governments,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
Comments are closed.