Defending the government's decision to replace MGNREGA with VB—G RAM G Bill, 2025, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday that Mahatma Gandhi is an inspiration for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the saffron party believes in his philosophy of 'Panch Nishtha'. Mahatma Gandhi, Chouhan said, believed that the villages are the soul of India, and they need to be developed.
Speaking exclusively to India TV, Chouhan said the VB—G RAM G Bill, 2025, aims at making villages self-reliant and fulfilling the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. Lauding the Father of the Nation, he said Mahatma Gandhi was not just an individual but an idea.
"The VB—G RAM G Bill, 2025, only highlights the vision of Mahatma Gandhi," the Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha said.
He told India TV that the VB—G RAM G Bill, 2025, was brought only after a lot of deliberations, as there were a lot of shortcomings in the MGNREGA. Chouhan claimed that the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had earlier renamed the Jawahar Rozgar Yojna, but that didn't mean that they were 'disrespecting' former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.
"Congress misusing the name of Mahatma Gandhi," Chouhan, who is also the Union Agriculture Minister, said. "Earlier, this scheme was not named after Mahatma Gandhi, but they added it in 2009. Congress never respected Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi wanted Congress disbanded after Independence... Congress only killed his legacy. Partition was also like killing his legacy."
When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticising the Centre's move, Chouhan said some parties are trying to politicise this matter. Pondering what the problem is in replacing MGNREGA, he said Lord Ram is an ideal for the country.
"What's the problem with using Lord Ram's name in this scheme? Even it was Mahatma Gandhi's dream to make India a Ram Rajya," the union minister said.
When asked why there was a need to bring the VB—G RAM G Bill, Chouhan said funds were not appropriately used, and there was a lot of corruption. He even pointed out that the labourers were exploited a lot under the MGNREGA. The scheme aims to end corruption and bring development to the last mile, he said.
"We were trying (to make changes since 2014). Our teams analysed the situation, and this bill was brought after a lot of discussions and deliberations," Chouhan told India TV, while criticising the opposition for creating an uproar in the Parliament during discussion over the VB—G RAM G Bill.
