New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) Calling the Opposition “hijacked” and accusing it of engaging in “conspiratorial obstruction”, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday defended the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, saying the country is undergoing wide-ranging reforms to replace outdated laws that no longer meet present-day needs.

Naqvi accused the Opposition of obstructive politics, saying it had distanced itself from constructive debate.

“The opposition has been hijacked. Instead of being part of any solution, it is becoming a story of conspiratorial obstruction,” Naqvi said.

He added that India was undergoing a phase of “complete independence” marked by reforms, arguing that older laws no longer suited present-day needs. “The laws made 20 years ago were relevant at that time, but today, the requirements have changed,” he said.

BJP MP Naresh Bansal defended the legislation, calling it a major step for rural development. “The bill on the Viksit Bharat Grameen Rozgar Aajeevika Mission was passed in the Lok Sabha during the day on Thursday and in the Rajya Sabha at 1.30 a.m. on Friday. It is an important bill for the development of rural areas and for employing the rural population,” he said.

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar took aim at the Opposition’s protests, accusing it of lacking leadership.

“Creating a ruckus is their political duty, but leadership itself is missing,” Kumar said. Highlighting changes in the scheme, he noted that guaranteed employment days had been increased.

“Earlier, there was a guarantee of 100 days; now it has been increased to 125 days,” he said, while invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and rejecting claims that the reform undermines his ideals.

However, the Congress launched a sharp counterattack, accusing the BJP of undermining democracy and diluting MGNREGA.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party is crushing democracy with the power of its majority. Governments are formed by majority, but they run on wisdom.”He further alleged that the new law destroyed the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi”, adding that “once Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi, but today the BJP has killed the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi”.

In a tumultuous session marked by loud protests and sloganeering, the Lok Sabha passed the VB-G RAM G Bill via voice vote on Thursday. The Bill replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a revised framework guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment annually to rural households.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, criticised the move as an erosion of MGNREGA’s demand-driven nature and objected to the removal of Gandhi’s name from the scheme. Protests continued during the debate, forcing brief adjournments earlier in the day.

Congress leader K.C. Venugopal had demanded that the Bill be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or the Standing Committee, a demand rejected by the government.

–IANS

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