It’s Congress’ 5 truths against BJP’s 5 lies on land bill: Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh

BENGALURU: Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday that the Congress would launch a nation-wide campaign against the proposed Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill of the Union government.

He told the media at KPCC office here that during the campaign his party would focus on major differences between the Congress led-UPA government’s Bill and the one being piloted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“In short, we want to highlight five truths about Congress government’s Bill while exposing five blatant lies which are being spread by Mr Modi’s government,” he added. Mr Ramesh said the Congress would oppose to the bill proposed by the Union government and ensure its defeat in Rajya Sabha.

“It is not true that we are opposing this bill for the sake of opposing it. But, there are bitter truths which need to be told to people. We have co-operated with Mr Modi in passage of the insurance bill without any hitch, which is a testimony to the fact that we are not opposed to any development related activities in the country. Therefore, we will fight it out politically (oppose the bill) inside and outside parliament,” he added.

The leader said “We are not sanyasis but members of a political party. We will certainly look for political excuses to fight against our opponents. Not only this, we will launch an agitation against the rights of tribals, forest and other crucial issues on which Mr Modi is having diametrically opposite views to popular beliefs that exist on these issues.”

"We strongly believe that what Chikkamagaluru did to Congress in 1978, the land acquisition amendments issue will do to the Congress in 2015. It will act as ‘sanjeevani’ (one that infuses life). Without giving a chance for the law to be implemented, the government has set about amending the law which I think simply is unacceptable to us,” he added.