West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continued her criticism of the VB-G RAM G Bill on Monday (December 22, 2025) and said that the Centre is pushing the country towards its “end” by removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the rural employment guarantee scheme, earlier known as MGNREGA.
“They removed the name of the father of the nation and brought in Ram Naam… I am not against Ram Naam, it is an epic… But when people take dead bodies for cremation, they chant ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’, the same way they are now taking the country towards its end after removing the name of Gandhiji,” Ms. Banerjee said sarcastically while addressing an administrative meeting in Kolkata.
This came after the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–G RAM G) Bill was passed in both the Parliament Houses and was also assented by President Droupadi Murmu. This Bill came to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act which was passed in 2005.
Across the nation, this change from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G has been met with protests from a cross-section of society. Opposition leaders in the Parliament also staged a walkout when the Bill was passed.
Previously, Ms. Banerjee’s government decided to rename their State’s job guarantee scheme as ‘Mahatma-Shree’ to honour Mahatma Gandhi as a protest against the Central government renaming the MGNREGA scheme.
The West Bengal State government scheme was previously called ‘Karmashree’.
Funds for the MGNREGA scheme have been suspended in Bengal since April 2022 due to allegations of corruption. However, earlier this year, both the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court have directed the resumption of the 100-day work scheme in the State. But, workers still await its resumption.
Published – December 23, 2025 02:30 am IST
