Land bill row: Modi misleading farmers, says Jairam Ramesh

Jaipur: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading farmers about 13 aspects of the new Land Acquisition Bill, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said they were part of the 2013 law passed by his party and that Modi was taking credit for it.

"The Prime Minister took credit for the 13 aspects. But the fact is that it was part of mandatory provision of the Land Acquisition Act 2013. Modi lied in Mann Ki Baat," Ramesh said at a press conference here referring to the Prime Minister's talk on radio.

Calling Modi an "anti-farmer Prime Minister," the former environment minister said the NDA government's move to bring amendments to the 2013 Act was anti-farmer and aimed at favouring 5-6 industrialists who funded BJP during elections.

The new Bill was passed by Lok Sabha but it was not possible for the government to get it cleared in the Rajya Sabha, and for this, the government might convene a joint session of Parliament to pass it, he said.

"Fourteen political parties are opposing the amendments. BJP's few MPs also met me asked to continue the protest. The party's ideologue K N Govindacharya and Shiv Sena are also opposing the Land Bill," Ramesh claimed.

"As far as RSS is concerned, it appears that there is now a temporary 'ceasefire pact' between RSS and the Modi government on the issue," he said, adding, that Congress will continue to oppose the amendments both inside and outside Parliament.

He also said that Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was much active for the amendments. Rajasthan PCC president Sachin Pilot, who was also present at the press conference, said the Modi government should tell people why it was in a hurry to pass the amendments.

He said Rajasthan Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) had acquired 72,000 acres of land in the state but only 54,000 acres land has been allotted so far and only 12,000 acres of the total allotted land have units.

"Despite this, the state government wants to acquire farmers land," Pilot said.