Oppn protests G RAM G during Prez address; govt demands apology
NEW DELHI: Sloganeering erupted during the President Droupadi Murmu’s address during the Budget Session in the parliament on Wednesday as the Opposition members registered their protest against the ‘VB - G RAM G’ law that aims to replace the MGNREGA scheme.
During her customary speech to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Murmu mentioned the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Act, dubbed as the ‘VB - G RAM G’ law.
“For employment and development in rural areas, Viksit Bharat-G RAM G law has been formed. With this new reform, there will be 125 days of employment guarantees in villages,” the President said in her address.
While NDA MPs thumped their tables in appreciation, Opposition members caused an uproar and demanded that the law be withdrawn.
The G Ram G law is meant to be an updated version of the UPA government’s flagship MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act). It cleared the parliament amid bitter protests during the last session and got the President’s assent in December.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the opposition members embarrassed the country with their conduct and also insulted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr B R Ambedkar, Birsa Munda, Bhupen Hazarika, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by raising slogans during the President’s address which paid tributes to them, remembering their contributions.
“The way these people undermined the dignity of Parliament is highly condemnable. No amount of condemnation is enough. They should apologise to Parliament and the country,” Union Minister J P Nadda said.
Members of the Congress and its allies in the opposition briefly raised slogans against the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, demanding its rollback as soon as President Murmu began her address to the joint session of Parliament.
As the president referred to the VB-G RAM G Act and began speaking about provisions in her address, opposition members, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, rose from their seats and began protesting.
President Murmu paused for a moment during her address as the opposition began raising slogans, demanding the rollback of the VB-G RAM G Act.
Reacting sharply to the opposition protest, Nadda said, “The Budget session of Parliament began today with the address by President Droupadi Murmu. But, the way the leaders of the Congress and opposition parties habitually violated parliamentary decorum was utterly reprehensible and cannot be condemned enough.”
Nadda also slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC), saying it was “surprising” that the party members participated in the opposition uproar when the President was paying tributes to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, remembering his contributions.
Slamming the opposition, Rijiju told reporters in the Parliament House complex, “The country is ashamed of what the opposition members did during the president’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament. The country will never forgive the Congress and its allies in the opposition for this.”
The country will never forgive the opposition parties for the kind of politics they indulged in during the president’s address, Rijiju said.
“At least Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Shri Rahul Gandhi ji should have told opposition MPs not to insult Vande Mataram undermining the honour of our great freedom fighters. Instead they both were also standing and disturbing the President’s speech,” Rijiju said in a post on X later.
with agency inputs
