Shashi Tharoor Slams Proposed VB–G RAM G Bill, Calls Removal of Gandhi’s Name a Grave Setback

Speaking during the parliamentary proceedings, Tharoor objected to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the programme, stressing that the change goes far beyond a routine administrative adjustment. He said Gandhi’s association with the initiative reflects its philosophical core, rooted in the idea of “Ram Rajya” as envisioned by the freedom leader—an inclusive framework centred on village empowerment and broad-based socio-economic upliftment. Stripping the programme of that identity, he argued, weakens its moral and historical grounding.

Tharoor also raised serious concerns over the bill’s proposed financial restructuring. He cautioned that shifting 40 percent of the programme’s funding responsibility onto state governments would disproportionately burden economically weaker states. According to him, such a move could trigger delays in wage payments, reduce available workdays, and ultimately threaten the very survival of the scheme in regions that need it most.

Further criticism was directed at provisions that would place the programme under executive notification, effectively increasing Union government control. Tharoor said this approach alters the original intent of the scheme and runs counter to the principles of India’s federal structure. He questioned whether sufficient legislative authority exists to justify such a centralisation of power, warning that it could erode cooperative federalism.

Concluding his intervention, Tharoor framed the bill as a defining test of the government’s commitment to rural welfare and constitutional values. He urged lawmakers to reconsider changes that, in his view, compromise both the philosophical legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the practical functioning of a programme designed to protect the country’s most vulnerable citizens.