Anna Hazare to Nitish Kumar: Who said what on Modi govt's Land Acquisition Bill

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government introduced the land acquisition amendment bill in Lok Sabha amid uproar by the Opposition on Tuesday. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 will replace an ordinance which had been promulgated by the NDA government on 30 December 2014.

The opposition parties, led by the Congress, vociferously opposed the bill on the floor of the House. The Opposition parties then staged a walkout.

Most Opposition parties have opposed this amendment, terming it ‘anti-farmer’. And as Parliament proceedings were taking place, social activist Anna Hazare along with various farmers’ unions protested against it in Jantar Mantar. He was also briefly joined by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

While the government has reiterated that the bill was in the interest of farmers, most parties, including BJP ally Shiv Sena, slammed it. Here are some reactions to the proposed amendment:

Anna Hazare: Under the British regime, farmers were allowed to go to court as and when they felt that unjustice was meted out to them. This government has snatched this right too as farmers will have to seek prior permission from the authorities before knocking at the door of court

Nitish Kumar (JD-U): The Land Acquisition Bill is anti-farmer and pro-rich. it’s a black law. The Bill seems to have taken the heart out of the legislation prepared in 2013.

Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party): The entire opposition is against the Bill and we are surprised that this government is time and again taking anti-farmer stand and is favouring industrialists. Farmers have nothing except the land in their possession. Farmers’ consent is must.

Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena): If farmers are opposing this ordinance, we must also take into consideration their views. The Shiv Sena will not support the bill in this form.

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP): If the amendment bill is passed, then this government will become a dalal, it will become property dealer for big companies. We vehemently oppose the bill. The current government should learn a lesson. People had whole-heartedly supported BJP in May and ensured their victory in the Lok Sabha polls. But after 8-9 months, due to their policies, people have uprooted BJP.

Kamal Nath (Congress): If they would like to have a discussion, we are open to have that with them. We can find ways and means to go around it. But if they bring it on the floor of the House, we will have to oppose it tooth and nail. The land acquisition ordinance is going to be opposed by us strongly. There are some serious issues… It shakes the foundation of the bill that we had introduced. Under no circumstances are we are willing to accept it.

Randeep Singh Surjewala (Congress): Can tyranny of the majority in Lok Sabha be an excuse for breaking the national consensus? We call upon the government of the day to withdraw the land acquisition ordinance.

Amarinder Singh (Congress): The BJP-led NDA government, of which Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) is part and parcel, is subtly trying to revert back to the Land Acquisition Law of 1894 of the British which was absolutely exploitative and had been enacted mainly to serve the colonial interests.