New Delhi: With the farmers’ issue hotting up within and outside Parliament, the Congress has decided to hold a “farmers’ rally” on April 19, on the eve of the second half of the Budget Session, thus daring the ruling BJP to hold a rally supporting its controversial Land Bill.
The NCP, on its part, urged the government not to re-promulgate the Land Acquisition Ordinance after the earlier one lapses, asking it to evolve a consensus instead.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier accused Congress chief Sonia Gandhi of “misleading” the country and challenged her to an open debate on the issue.
It is also learnt that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has been on a long sabbatical, will be back in action to attend the rally on April 19. Asked if Rahul Gandhi will attend the rally, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said, “All senior leaders will participate... Is he not among (them)?”
The Congress decided to mobilise farmers after leading a 14-party march to Rashtrapati Bhavan against the Bill and after Sonia Gandhi visited farmers in Rajasthan, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms. She will go to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab to mobilise farmers there.
A meeting of AICC general secretaries called by senior leader A.K. Antony on Monday evening finalised the date for the farmers’ rally. The PCC chiefs of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan attended it along with CLP leaders of three states, barring Delhi.
NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi asked the Centre not to re-promulgate the Land Ordinance, saying there was no need to prorogue the Rajya Sabha.
The Sharad Pawar-led party advised government managers to try to build a consensus among political parties on the Bill and not call a joint sitting of Parliament to pass it.
A section of the Congress feels that calling a joint sitting would ultimately go against the government. “They can pass the Bill by managing numbers, but this will confirm that they are anti-farmer and pro-corporate,” a leader said.
Responding to a letter by Mrs Gandhi, Mr Gadkari said not a single acre of land was acquired under the land acquisition law brought by the UPA for irrigation and rural and social infrastructure projects, and farmers remained dependent on the rains.
