Chandigarh, Dec 30 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday slammed the Centre for enacting the VB-G RAM G law to "snatch food from the poor" and asserted that his government will not allow "dacoity of rights" of the downtrodden.

Mann hit out at the Centre for rushing the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act through Parliament within 14 hours and said that it has hollowed out the very soul of the rural employment scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The AAP government in Punjab had called for a special session of the Assembly on Tuesday to oppose the new VB-G RAM G Act passed during the recently concluded winter session of Parliament by repealing the UPA-era MGNREGA.

Speaking at the session, Mann said the newly rechristened VB-G RAM G Act is aimed at "snatching food, jobs and dignity from Dalits, women and the poorest families." Demanding its immediate rollback, he said the move exposes the BJP's anti-Punjab mindset, rewards industrialists at the cost of common people, and raises the fundamental question about how India can aspire to be 'Vishva Guru' or achieve 'Viksit Bharat' while depriving its weakest sections of their basic right to food and livelihood.

He also said the Shiromani Akali Dal's "studied silence" was "deliberate and opportunistic." During debate on the resolution against VB-G RAM G Act, Mann said it takes away the right to guaranteed wages from poor workers, women and lakhs of job card-holding families and imposes an additional financial burden on states.

"MGNREGA, which was carefully conceived by former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, was introduced after years of deliberations. The VB-G RAM G Act was passed by Parliament within hours," he noted.

The chief minister said the Union government has changed the basic character of the rural employment scheme as MGNREGA was demand-driven, while VB-G RAM G is norm-based, which is not in the interest of people.

"MGNREGA scheme implemented in Punjab last financial year saw 60 per cent participation from women and 70 per cent participation of people from scheduled castes. This shows that the majority of beneficiaries belonged to the marginalised sections of the society," he pointed out.

Mann said if the new Act is implemented, the economic condition of these sections "will worsen, with lack of employment opportunities." Provisions of the new Act are aimed at weakening both the scheduled castes and women socially and economically, resulting in widening of inequality and causing further avoidable distress, he alleged.

"The Centre's move is totally aimed at snatching food from the common man who have immensely benefitted from MGNREGA. Earlier, the weaker sections got assured employment, but this purpose is defeated now," he added.

Instead of giving farmers the guarantee of minimum support price on crops, the Centre has snatched the guarantee of employment given to labourers by its predecessors, he said.

"This is the Centre's game plan to benefit its blue-eyed industrialists. It is ironic that people sitting in cozy offices in Delhi are planning development works in Punjab's villages," he added.

He accused the BJP of suffering from "anti-Punjab syndrome". Citing the Centre's decisions on Chandigarh, Panjab University, Bhakra Beas Management Board and others, Mann said that every passing day, the Centre takes decisions against the interests of Punjab's people.

Taking a dig at Akali Dal, Mann dared its leaders to explain why they are silent when BJP leaders upload cartoons of great guru sahibans on their social media handles.

"The Akali leadership is waiting for the opportunity to strike an alliance with the BJP before the 2027 assembly polls," he said, adding that for the next eight months, Akalis will be "mute spectators" to all "misdeeds" of the saffron party.

He warned the Centre to refrain from taking "anti-people" policies or the people of Punjab will not allow its leaders to enter their villages.

"We will fight to any extent. We will not allow dacoity of the rights of the poor," he added. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)