India, Dec. 16 -- A row erupted in the Parliament on Tuesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government sought to introduce a bill to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), drawing objections from the opposition parties over the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name and the intent behind the proposed changes.

The controversy in the Lok Sabha began when Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought the House's permission to introduce the Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G-RAM-G) Bill, 2025, which aims to replace MGNREGA.

Leading the Opposition's attack, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi said the bill reflected "personal ambition, obsession and ...