Congress Accuses Government of Insulting Tagore and Gandhi as Parliament Adjourns Sine Die

As the Winter Session of Parliament concluded with both Houses adjourned sine die on Friday, the Congress launched a scathing attack on the Union government, accusing it of commencing the session by insulting Rabindranath Tagore and concluding it with an affront to Mahatma Gandhi. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the session as a 'pradushan kaleen' affair, asserting that while the party was fully prepared for a substantive debate on air pollution, the government deliberately evaded the issue despite escalating public health concerns in the national capital and surrounding regions.

Ramesh highlighted the government's alleged pattern of historical distortion, claiming the Vande Mataram discussion was primarily aimed at defaming Jawaharlal Nehru and twisting facts about the national song's adoption. He referenced the 1937 Congress Working Committee decision, influenced by Tagore's recommendations, to sing only the first two stanzas, and accused the ruling dispensation of insulting the poet laureate alongside Nehru. The Opposition leader further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach systematically targeted icons who shaped modern India, culminating in the passage of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB-G RAM G Bill, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The contentious VB-G RAM G Bill, which increases guaranteed rural workdays from 100 to 125 per household while shifting to a centrally sponsored scheme, was passed late Thursday amid intense Opposition protests, including paper-tearing in the Lok Sabha. Ramesh likened the sudden introduction and hurried passage of the legislation to a "Brahmos missile," criticizing the government for listing 14 bills at the session's outset but failing to introduce several, and questioned the transparency in legislative priorities. He argued that removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the flagship rural employment program constituted a deliberate insult.

Also Read: Rajya Sabha Adjourned Sine Die; Chairman Criticises Opposition Disruptions

During the 19-day session that began on December 1, Parliament also cleared significant legislations such as the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, opening the civil nuclear sector to private participation, and a measure raising foreign direct investment in insurance to 100 percent. These developments, aimed at boosting investment and energy security, proceeded amid Opposition walkouts and demands for greater scrutiny on safety and accountability implications.

The session ended on a polarized note, with the Congress vowing to challenge perceived governmental overreach outside Parliament, while underscoring unresolved issues like air pollution and historical reverence. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned indefinitely, marking the close of a highly charged parliamentary proceeding dominated by ideological confrontations and key policy reforms.

Also Read: UP Assembly to Discuss Vande Mataram Anniversary, Present Supplementary Budget