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PTI, NEW DELHI, DEC 19, 2025 : Legislators and activists staged a symbolic protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar after Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill by repealing the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act on Friday.

Activists Jean Derez, Rajendran Narayanan, Mukesh, and others were joined by MPs Sasikanth Senthil of Congress, S Murasoli and Thanga Tamil Selvan of DMK, Bikash Bhattacharya of CPIM, and Raja Ram Singh of CPI(ML) Liberation.

Meanwhile, the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a coalition of organisations working with rural labourers, said they were denied permission for the protest and were informed that a request for demonstration had to be given 10 days in advance.

"It took three days for the Bill to be passed. But to protest, we need to give a 10-day notice," said an activist, who wished not to be named. The activist said some morcha members even received letters from police warning of legal action if they held a demonstration.

On Friday, the protesters were initially stopped by police, but allowed to hold a brief protest later. Activist Jean Derez called out the process followed while passing the VB-GRAM G Bill, unlike that of MGNREGA, which was brought out after widespread consultations.

"This is a 'bulldozer bill', to the extent that it is repealing not only NREGA but also all the orders and notifications built under NREGA in one go," Derez said.

Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil criticised the denial of permission for the protest. "This is a gross violation of democratic rights of the people. Especially in such a serious statute, which affects people en masse," he said. "People don't have any voice to even raise their concerns in a public place. This is very, very shameful and atrocious," he said.