Amid hectic preparations for the April 19 'Farmers' Rally' against the land bill, top Congress leaders today met a group of party workers from Haryana and exhorted them to ensure large participation to make the event a success.
The rally at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi is likely to be addressed by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Digvijay Singh and Shakeel Ahmed today addressed the party workers from Haryana at a meeting convened by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The meeting was also attended by party MLAs, former MLAs, former ministers and office-bearers of the state unit.
The meeting convened at Hooda's residence, however, did not see the presence of party's state unit chief Ashok Tanwar or CLP leader Kiran Choudhary.
Addressing the meeting, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said while farmers were suffering in the country and committing suicides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was enjoying a boat ride in France. He also accused Modi of speaking lies to farmers on the issue.
Referring to the amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which had been passed by the erstwhile UPA government, Singh said the BJP government has taken away consent clause and changed many other farmer-friendly clauses. Earlier, consent of the farmers and study of social impact were compulsory that have been changed, he added.
Singh said the UPA's Land Acquisition Act was drafted on the pattern of Haryana's Land Acquisition Policy introduced by the Hooda government. He said Haryana farmers were needed to show up at the rally in large numbers bearing pink turbans. "The stature of those connected to the ground never reduces. Politics and democracy is run by those who are connected with the people," he said.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel said the April 19 Rally was being organised not only against the Land Acquisition Act amendments but also against the anti-farmer steps being taken this government.
"The April 19 rally will succeed due to your efforts. This I can make out going by your enthusiasm at today's meeting," Patel said, adding "the plight of farmers is worrying. Today the situation is such that farmers are forced to commit suicide. The nation and the farming community are going through a critical phase.
