The Opposition parties, led by the Congress, vehemently opposed the VB-G RAM G bill that seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday slammed the Opposition parties over the ruckus in the Lok Sabha after the VB-G RAM G Bill was passed, calling it an insult to Mahatma Gandhi’s principles.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Chouhan said that the behaviour of the opposition in the Lok Sabha today, including members of the Congress and the INDIA Alliance, has undermined the integrity of our democracy.
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“I strongly condemn the disgraceful behaviour of Congress and the INDI bloc MPs in Parliament. Loktantra ko bhidtantra aur goondatantra mein badal diya gaya (democracy has been turned into mob rule and hooliganism). Today, there was to be a discussion on the MGNREGA name-change bill, but the Opposition tore up copies of the bill. Is this not an insult to Bapu’s principles?” asked Chouhan.
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The Opposition parties, led by the Congress, vehemently opposed the bill that seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme. The Opposition members said that replacing Mahatma Gandhi’s name was an insult to him and tore the copies of the bill.
“For them, the hopes of the poor, the dreams of the youth, and the development of villages are merely a piece of paper, which can be torn and thrown around at any time for their negative politics. Today, the entire country was watching how, by tearing up the bill aimed at realizing the dreams of rural India’s development, the opposition not only insulted democracy but also insulted the dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj,” Chouhan remarked.
He also defended the renaming of the UPA-era MGNREGA scheme, saying the Nehru-Gandhi family has a habit of naming all schemes after its own family members.
Referring to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks that the Narendra Modi government is obsessed with renaming old schemes, Chouhan said, “Whether it’s government schemes, educational institutions, sports and tournaments, trophies, roads, places, buildings, awards, festivals, or medical institutions…The Nehru-Gandhi family, which has a habit of naming all these after its own family members, is today invoking the name of Mahatma Gandhi. So tell me, Priyanka ji, have you got your answer now as to who really has this obsession with naming things?”
He further laid down the government’s vision behind the new employment guarantee scheme, saying it has made a comprehensive plan, including what developed village will look like.
“Provisions for unemployment allowance have been strengthened, and it has been stated that if wages are not paid within 15 days, an additional payment of 0.05% per day will have to be made for delayed wage disbursement. Attention has been given to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Separate guarantee cards will be issued for differently-abled elderly persons, and they will receive higher wages even for less work. I don’t understand what the problem is in this?” he asked.
He said that ‘developed villages for a developed India’ is Prime Minister Modi’s resolve, and sufficient funds have been proposed for it.
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