Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Wednesday, in an X post questioned the Opposition AIADMK's stand on the Centre's Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, (VBGRAMG).
The Bill intends to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
He expressed that he would like to know if the party's general secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami, will extend support to the move, just like how he had backed the three erstwhile farm laws and the CAA.
Highlighting that the VBGRAMG scraps Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme and has been renamed in Hindi, he launched a scathing attack on Palaniswami over his hesitation to oppose it, despite bearing 'Anna' in his party name.
Former Chief Minister C N Annadurai, fondly called as 'Anna', led massive protests in the 1960s opposing Hindi imposition and said that it was a threat to Tamil identity, autonomy, and culture.
Pointing out that the VBGRAMG Bill consolidates decision-making powers with the Centre while reducing its share of funding from 100 per cent to 60 per cent, CM Stalin asked if the AIADMK is accepting this without any objection.
In a sharp remark, he asked if the party's late leader and former CM J Jayalalithaa would have agreed to this.
Earlier, on December 15, CM Stalin stated that the Union BJP government is 'arrogantly' attempting to destroy a scheme that has pulled out crores of people from the clutches of poverty and paved the way for them to lead a dignified life.
Union Minister for Rural Development, and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 16.