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With the Opposition up in arms against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s land acquisition Bill, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), too, has lashed against the Bill that the opposition terms “anti-farmer”. The AAP even termed PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address on the legislation as “totally misleading”.
The AAP has resolved to actively participate and support mentor and activist Anna Hazare’s protests against the Bill. Anna is slated to soon lead a farmers’ march from Wardha in Maharashtra to New Delhi. AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had joined Hazare during his protest at Jantar Mantar a fortnight ago.
“The PM claimed that compensation to farmers has been increased when the truth is that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in Haryana, the compensation has been reduced by half,” said party spokesperson Deepak Bajpai.
“The PM also stated that by doing away with the social impact assessment (SIA) he has done away with red tapism when, in fact, the SIA provides checks and balances and a protective tool for agriculturalists; he blatantly misrepresented facts. Now that consent of land owners is not required, land can be acquired citing any plea, like economically weaker sections (EWS) housing,” said Bajpai.
“The 2013 Land Acquisition Act was a well considered law,” he added.
While Opposition parties like the Congress have latched on to the land Bill as an issue which resonates with the masses and with the majority of rural India, for the AAP, which is intent on expanding its footprint across the country, the issue helps it connect with the farming community.
The AAP has four Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab, and it is an issue the party can in no way ignore if it has to stay relevant in this state. In Haryana, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav has for some time now been raising issues of farmer interest and leading local protests.
In Uttar Pradesh on Monday, the AAP led state-wide protests against the Bill, with UP incharge and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh and leader Kumar Vishwas leading an agitation in Ghaziabad. In Lucknow, AAP workers staged a demonstration in front of the collectorate.
The AAP has of late been attempting to bridge the gap with its one time mentor Anna Hazare. While Hazare headed a one-day protest against the Bill in Delhi, Congress followed that with a separate protest of its own a day later. However, Hazare recently wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi highlighting the 'anti-farmer' character of the legislation.
Gandhi responded by welcoming Anna's protests and informing him of the march of 14 opposition parties that she led to the Rashtrapati Bhavan against the Bill.
The AAP views itself, Congress and other political parties as sharing a "common cause" on the land Bill agitation. An AAP spokesperson said the party would actively participate in Anna's agitation and support it.
