The winter session of Parliament concluded yesterday amid intense opposition from lawmakers. The ruling party faced strong resistance over the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the “Vikshit Bharat Guarantee – Rojgar and Aajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G).” Opposition MPs have been protesting the name change since it was announced, alleging that it removes Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy from the iconic rural employment scheme.
Yesterday, opposition members staged a 12-hour protest outside Parliament, expressing their disapproval. Today, as proceedings began for the last day of the session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned indefinitely shortly after the start of business. Similarly, after laying papers and beginning proceedings, the Rajya Sabha also adjourned for an indefinite period.
Opposition MPs accused the government of sidelining Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the rural employment scheme and vowed to escalate the matter nationwide, including road protests. During the Lok Sabha session yesterday, opposition members disrupted proceedings, even tearing copies of the bill in protest. The debate over the renaming continued in the Rajya Sabha, where opposition resistance remained strong.
Despite the protests, the bill to rename the 20-year-old MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G was passed in the Rajya Sabha after a midnight vote. The winter session thus ended amid both controversy and parliamentary debate over the contentious name change.