As Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Bill) amid fierce Opposition protests, the controversy has sparked off a political slugfest here in Tamil Nadu.
Unleashing a sharp attack on TN Chief Minister MK Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami raised the issue of an unfulfilled promise made by the DMK during the 2021 state assembly elections on MGNREGA.
EPS, however, welcomed the Centre's move to increase guaranteed rural employment from 100 to 125 days under the new scheme. But, he strongly urged the Union government to retain the name 'Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act' (MGNREGA) without any changes.
DMK's promise
EPS turned the tables on Stalin, reminding him of a key promise he had made in the DMK's 2021 Assembly election manifesto – to increase MGNREGA work days from 100 to 150 and to raise wages – if he is voted to power.
"In the 2021 election manifesto, then-Opposition leader MK Stalin promised that a DMK government would raise MGNREGA days to 150 with higher wages. After deceiving people to win votes and form a government, this promise remains unfulfilled even today," said EPS.
Further, he questioned why Stalin's recent lengthy X post criticising the Centre made no mention of this broken pledge. "Having committed such outright betrayal, what moral right does he have to speak of betrayal while wearing the 'green shawl' (referring to DMK's party colour)?"
The AIADMK leader's remarks come amid Stalin's aggressive campaign portraying the VB-G RAM G Bill as a BJP assault on the rural poor, federalism, and Gandhian legacy. The DMK is also criticising the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name and the perceived Hindi imposition behind the name change.
Unfulfilled promise
The DMK's 2021 manifesto explicitly pledged to "increase working days under MGNREGA from 100 to 150 days". Many observers had highlighted this promise as a key assurance aimed at rural voters. Despite coming to power in May 2021, the DMK government has not yet implemented this hike.
MGNREGA remains a Central scheme guaranteeing 100 days of work (with provisions for extra in drought/notified areas), and Tamil Nadu has not unilaterally extended it to 150 days statewide, a move requiring additional state funding or Central approval beyond standard limits. Critics, including EPS and BJP leaders, have repeatedly flagged this as one of the several unfulfilled DMK promises, alongside education loan waivers and LPG subsidies.
DMK hits back
Stalin has dismissed such attacks, positioning the DMK as a defender of Tamil Nadu's rights against "central imposition".
In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 18, he opposed the Bill's repeal of MGNREGA, warning of financial burdens on states (due to the shift to 60:40 funding) and dilution of its demand-driven, rights-based nature.
Stalin accused EPS of a "soft and misleading" stance, allegedly to appease the BJP, and questioned if AIADMK would support the changes like it did with the repealed farm laws.
Protests in Parliament
The Opposition INDIA bloc parties, including Congress, Left, and VCK, held protests in Parliament and announced nationwide agitations. In Tamil Nadu, Left parties and VCK plan separate statewide demonstrations on December 23.
The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance plans massive statewide protests on December 24, mobilising rural beneficiaries against the Bill and AIADMK's perceived complicity.
DMK MP Kanimozhi, during Parliament debates and protests, slammed the Bill for diluting the rights-based guarantee. She said, "Under VB-G RAM G, the Union government will decide how many jobs each state gets. The BJP does not care for Tamil Nadu's rural poor, how will they grasp our ground realities?"
TN BJP hails Bill
BJP Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson Narayan Tirupati hailed the Bill as essential reform.
He said, "After 20 years, MGNREGA needed modernisation with technology, infrastructure linkage, and fraud-proofing. Funding has risen five-fold under Modi – from ₹33,000 crore in 2014 to over ₹1.5 lakh crore now. Critics like Stalin hide the truth; BJP has transferred four times funds more to states than the Congress era."
Also, he dismissed the outrage over the name-change as nothing but "jealous propaganda", noting that Gandhi's name was added only in 2009. Moreover, Tirupati pointed out that the new framework creates lasting assets while boosting the number of guaranteed days of work to 125 and protects farming seasons.
