Oppn's 'hooliganism' during passage of G RAM G Bill in LS 'disgraceful': Agri Minister Chouhan

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday termed the opposition uproar "disgraceful" during the debate on the rural employment guarantee bill in the Lok Sabha and alleged that they turned democracy into "mobocracy" and "hooliganism" with their behaviour.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, hours after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day following uproar, Chouhan asked why the opposition was objecting to the name of the legislation -- The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill.

"What was the fuss over the name of the Bill? The opposition is only concerned about the name but we are more focused on work.

"I strongly condemn the disgraceful behaviour of the Congress and the INDI bloc MPs in Parliament. Through their behaviour, the opposition disgraced democracy, tore parliamentary traditions to shreds and turned democracy into 'bheedtantra' (mobocracy) and 'goondatantra' (hooliganism)," he said.

The opposition members protested in Parliament for the "removal" of the original name of the law -- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).

"They tore the papers, stood atop the desks. Is it not the murder of Babu's ideals? Was it not immoral and undignified?" Chouhan asked.

The minister also asked whether Bapu would have accepted this kind of "disgraceful" behaviour of the opposition members.

Chouhan said the conduct of the opposition in the Lok Sabha undermined democracy and parliamentary decorum, and they have thoroughly disregarded the spirit of democracy.

Replying to a media query on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi being on a visit to Germany when the Lok Sabha discussed the Bill, the senior BJP leader said, "I am saying this with a heavy heart that in a democracy, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and the opposition have their own importance but he is continuously diminishing that importance through his conduct and behaviour." By remaining absent during such an important discussion in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi has "undermined the dignity of the post" of LoP that he holds, Chouhan added.

On the opposition's objection to the removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the rural job guarantee scheme, the BJP leader hit back and said, "The name of the scheme is reflecting its objectives which is 'rojgaar and aajivika (employment and livelihood)'. I believe it reflects the ideals of Bapu. What's the problem with that?" "If the short form of the scheme has become G RAM G, then why are they so irritated with Ram ji (Lord Ram)?" he asked.

"So far as the question of name is concerned, they named many schemes after late Jawaharlal Nehru, late Indira Gandhi and late Rajiv Gandhi. So, they are obsessed with names. They die for fame, we work for results," Chouhan added.

The minister said he listened with complete seriousness to the addresses of 98 MPs who participated in the long discussions on the Bill in the Lok Sabha because debate and discussions are the soul of democracy.

"I was fully prepared to give my reply. But they did not allow me to complete my reply and disrupted the proceedings of the House. I am deeply hurt by the behaviour of the opposition," he said.

The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday after the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill due to the opposition uproar over its provisions.

The opposition raised slogans against the government and tore copies of the Bill as Chouhan delivered his concluding remarks.

Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings for the day after the passage of the Bill. Friday is the last day of the Winter session of Parliament.

The minister said previously, there was a guarantee of 100 days of employment, which has now been increased to 125 days. Adequate funds totalling Rs 1,51,282 crore have been proposed to support this expansion.

Of this amount, the Centre's share exceeds Rs 95,000 crore, he said.

The minister said according to the new scheme, the government plans to build a complete village, a developed village, an employment-rich village and a poverty-free village besides giving a guarantee.

"This is the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that is why this new scheme has been introduced," he said.

Chouhan said the government has prepared a comprehensive plan, including what a developed village will look like.

"The village will have proper infrastructure -- school, health centre, water reservoir, Anganwadi centre, livelihood works, roads and the like so that the village is well developed," he said.

The minister said "garib kalyan" (welfare of the poor) is the resolve of the BJP. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, not one but numerous schemes are being undertaken to improve the lives of the poor, he added.

"That is why, more than 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line," the minister added.

Chouhan said he did not understand why even the provisions that have been made from a "human perspective" are troubling the opposition. PTI PK ACB PK KSS KSS