‘Decorum torn to shreds’: Shivraj Singh Chouhan hits out at Opposition for protest against VB-G RAM G Bill

“Today, through their conduct in the Lok Sabha, members of the Opposition, the Congress, and INDI Alliance MPs have put a blot on democracy. Parliamentary decorum has been torn to shreds. Democracy has been reduced to mob rule and thuggery,” Chouhan told reporters at the BJP headquarters following the conclusion of proceedings in the Upper House.

“You are aware that the discussion on this bill… began yesterday, went on well beyond 1.30 am, and we listened to 98 honourable Members of Parliament with complete seriousness, because discussion is the lifeblood of democracy…But the kind of indecent conduct displayed by the Opposition, tearing papers and throwing them around…is this not an insult to Bapu ji?…I strongly condemn it,” he said.

Questioning why the Opposition was worried when several such schemes had been introduced since the early 1960s, he sought to underscore that the government had prepared a comprehensive plan, including what developed villages would look like. The Bill included a complete list of requirements related to infrastructure, schools, health centres, water conservation, anganwadi buildings, livelihood works, roads, etc, and was aimed at the development of villages, he added.

He said that earlier there was a guarantee of 100 days of employment under the scheme which has now been increased to 125 days at a cost of over Rs 1.51 lakh crore, of which the Centre would bear more than Rs 95,000 crore, attacking the Congress for having spent a little more than Rs 2.13 lakh crore between 2006-07 to 2013-14 during the UPA rule compared to over 8.53 lakh crore spent under the NDA.

“I want to say that garib kalyan (welfare of the poor) is the BJP’s resolve and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not one but numerous schemes are continuously operating to improve the lives of the poor,” he said.

“That is why more than 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line…For a developed India, employment and developed villages are Modi ji’s resolve, and that is why this scheme has been brought,” he added.