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Acknowledging that the agitation against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s land Bill was a “make or break issue” for the Congress, the party has embarked upon a two-pronged strategy — reaching out to other Opposition parties to seek support within Parliament and organising protests, including a massive Kisan rally at Ramlila Maidan.
Accusing the Narendra Modi-led government for “misleading” the Opposition by claiming their concerns on “consent clause and social impact assessment” would be addressed in the Bill, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday highlighted how the ordinance that was to be re-promulgated by the NDA was a mere copy of the Bill along with the controversial nine amendments passed by the Lok Sabha.
Ramesh also shot off a letter to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari trashing the cosmetic amendments in the Bill.
The Congress is looking at support from Opposition parties, which have already made clear their reservations on the Bill. In the Upper House, where the government does not have a majority, the Congress is reasonably confident of support from MPs from Trinamool Congress (12), Left parties (11), Janata Dal (United) (12), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (4), Bahujan Samaj Party (10) and Nationalist Congress Party (6) apart from its own 68 members. The party, however, is unsure of what stance the Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will take.
“While the BJD walked out during voting in the Lok Sabha, we are aware the government is in touch with political parties and reaching out to them,” said a Congress leader. The party is also banking on the fact that the agitation against the land Bill is the common cementing factor for the six Janata parties- Janata Dal (U), RJD, SP, Indian National Lok Dal, Janata Dal (Secular) and SP. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said in Patna: "We'll launch a Mahabharat war against the BJP over its land acquisition Bill and false promises to bring back black money stashed in foreign countries, as well as, providing jobs to the youth. We'll not spare them. They have cheated everybody, including our farmers."
The Congress, meanwhile, will be holding a review meeting to finalise its preparations for the rally, which will see farmers from Haryana, Rajasthan, MP, UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand attending.
Jairam Ramesh said the party won't support the new Bill at any cost. Ramesh said removal of social impact assessment, consent clause, acquiring one km of land on either side of industrial corridors and removing the time limit of five years after which unused land would have to be returned were some of the objections.
