Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday vowed to launch a major agitation in the state against the VB-G-Ram-G Bill passed in Parliament, alleging that the Center aims to change the name of Mahatma Gandhi and scrap the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
Speaking to the media, Shivakumar said, “They wanted to change the name of Gandhi. They wanted to scrap this scheme. A big movement will start in Karnataka against this decision.”
Earlier, the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister had launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that the identity and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi cannot be erased.
Asked about renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as the Developed India Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill, 2025, DK Shivakumar told reporters, “They cannot change the name. If you have the guts, remove Mahatma Gandhi’s picture from the note. You cannot do that. Can you (BJP) remove Mahatma Gandhi’s picture from the note? You cannot.”
The opposition is mainly opposing the VB-G RAM GBII Bill because it repeals MGNREGA and removes Mahatma Gandhi’s name from this key rural employment programme. The opposition alleges that the bill weakens the “right to work” and imposes a heavy financial burden on states through the new funding split of 60:40.
During the winter session of Parliament, Parliament on Friday passed the Vikas Bharat Guarantee Mission for Employment and Livelihood (Rural) (VB-G RAM G) Bill. After the approval of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha also approved this bill.
The Bill ensures 125 days of wage employment to every adult member of a rural household willing to do unskilled manual labour, instead of the existing 100 days.
According to Section 22 of the Bill, the ratio of fund sharing between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir), the ratio will be 90:10.
Section 6 of the Bill allows state governments to notify in advance a period of sixty days in total in the financial year, including the peak agricultural season of sowing and harvesting.
The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Thursday amid protests and sloganeering by opposition members.
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, in a separate statement on Saturday, said that during his visit to Delhi, he will meet the Union Ministers of Irrigation, Forest and Urban Development in the interest of the state and will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shivakumar said, “In the interest of the state, I will meet the Union Minister of Irrigation, Forest and Urban Development. After that I will meet the Prime Minister.”
When asked whether he would meet the Congress high command, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “They said they will call both of us at the appropriate time. We will wait for their call.”
