The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has refuted claims that the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act is a demolition of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The BJP insists that the new law, which replaces MGNREGA, is an "overdue repair" aimed at renewing and expanding social protection in a changing India.

This response comes after Congress leader Sonia Gandhi criticized the VB-G RAM G, calling it a "demolition" of MGNREGA that would have catastrophic consequences for crores of people in rural India. She urged all to unite and safeguard the rights meant to protect everyone.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's IT department, dismissed Gandhi's criticism as a "flight of her political fancy" and accused her of "mischaracterizations, selective memory, and outright falsehoods". Malviya argued that MGNREGA was not a result of wide consultations, as claimed by Gandhi, but was conceived by the National Advisory Council, which she headed. He said that the legal right to employment remains untouched by the new law, albeit with a changed budgeting framework.

According to the BJP, the VB-G RAM G Act strengthens guaranteed employment, increasing it from 100 to 125 days. The party also claims that the new law will not suppress rural wage growth, arguing that it takes into account the changes rural India has witnessed. Data from NABARD and MPCE reportedly shows that a significant percentage of rural households report higher consumption, higher incomes, and reliance on formal credit. The BJP contends that while MGNREGA played a role in alleviating distress, it has not kept pace with today's rural realities.

The BJP has also addressed concerns about the financial burden on states. Malviya stated that MGNREGA was never funded at 90% by the Centre in practice. He added that states already bore a significant portion of the material costs, administrative expenses, and unemployment allowance. The BJP argues that the new funding model formalizes and rationalizes funding, making states equal partners.

The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed by Parliament amid protests from opposition parties. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan framed the bill as the BJP's idea to empower the poor with a more effective and corruption-free job guarantee scheme. The BJP views the enactment of the VB-G RAM G Act as a significant step in weakening the Congress party's legacy.