Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan introduces VB-G RAM G Bill: ‘It’s for the establishment of Ram Rajya’

Seeking leave of the House for the introduction of the Bill, Chouhan said, “Yeh poora Bill Mahatma Gandhi ki bhawana ke anuroop hai, aur Ram Rajya ki sthapana ke liye hai (The Bill is in accordance with the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, and for the establishment of Ram Rajya)”.

Earlier, Opposition members strongly opposed the introduction of the Bill under Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

The DMK’s T R Baalu, Congress members, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shashi Tharoor and K C Venugopal, RSP leader N K Premachandran, TMC’s Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, and NCP (SP) member Supriya Sule opposed the introduction of the Bill.

Priyanka Gandhi said no will should be passed on someone’s whim and demanded that the Bill should be sent to the Standing Committee. She said the government should withdraw this Bill, and bring a fresh one. Venugopal termed the Bill as an attack on the Constitution.

While Premachandran also urged the government to withdraw the Bill, Sule also demanded that the Bill should be sent to the Standing Committee.

SP leader Yadav objected removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the rural job guarantee scheme.

Responding to Opposition members, Chouhan said the government has provided 125 days of guaranteed employment, up from 100 under the MGNREGS. He said the aim of the new scheme is to ensure all-round development of villages, which was a resolve of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

He introduced the Bill amid a ruckus.

Later, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 2 pm.