Trinamool along with other opposition parties protested against the J R G Bill in the Parliament premises at midnight

Members of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other India Block parties staged a 12-hour dharna on the stairs of the old Parliament House from late Thursday night, protesting the approval of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VBG-RAM-G) Bill 2025 in the Rajya Sabha. The protest began after the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in the wee hours, following the adjournment of the House proceedings between December 18 and 19. The dharna is likely to continue until today afternoon.

Opposition MPs are protesting against the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. They allege that the new 'Gram Swaraj' law destroys the framework of rights under the original Act. The protesting TMC MPs accused the government of insulting Mahatma Gandhi's legacy, as it has removed his name from the key rural employment scheme, and said the government has disregarded the values of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Throughout the night, posters and slogans with strong messages were visible and audible, reading, "Don't kill MGNREGA the way you killed Gandhi ji. The VBG-RAM-G Bill, 2025, is a bill that replaces the two-decade-old MGNREGA scheme."

The government claims that the new bill is a modern reform, increasing the guaranteed employment days from 100 to 125, while the opposition has raised several objections. A major issue with the amended framework is that under the new bill, states will have to bear 40% of the financial burden, which was zero in the previous system.

Opposition leaders, particularly from West Bengal and Kerala, argue that this will impose a heavy financial burden on the states. They further claim that the 60-day gap during the harvest season will deprive rural laborers of economic protection when they need it the most.

The Rajya Sabha session continued throughout the night, and the bill was passed through a voice vote, as opposition members walked out of the House before gathering at the Mahatma Gandhi statue. During the protest, a senior TMC MP said, "By removing the name of the Father of the Nation, this government has shown its true face. They are replacing the legal right to work with a centrally controlled dole scheme."

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defended the bill, saying it implements Gandhi ji's concept of Gram Swaraj by creating sustainable assets and eliminating corruption through the use of technology.