The Congress on Tuesday faced moments of discomfiture as its ex-stalwart and now Rural Development Minister in the NDA Government Chaudhary Birender Singh took it head on. The former Congressman punctured holes into the Opposition attack over the land Acquisition Bill by flashing his own past association with the grand old party to point out what the Congress did in States like Haryana ruled by it. And also, what some others like the Samajwadi Party — also opposing the land Bill — did in Uttar Pradesh for acquiring land.
He even cited how a majority of the States which had participated in a meeting over the land Bill last year had strongly opposed the consent clause. But he singled out Haryana and UP for the purpose. As Singh tore into his erstwhile party, which voiced its protest, the Treasury benches heartily thumped desks to back the former Congress heavyweight. Singh, who had switched over to the BJP ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls last year — said he "knows the Congress inside out" and charged it with giving away "everything to the corporate" even as it neglected the farmers. Stressing his farmer credentials, he further said he was not going with anything that was against the farmers.
In a tongue and cheek manner, he cited how in Haryana, the State Government conducted its land acquisition process. The Bhupinder Hooda Government had attracted much controversy over the Robert Vadra land deals. He quoted the Haryana Government representatives as having said in the 2014 meeting that the "consent clause should be done away with". Saying the meeting chaired by his predecessor Nitin Gadakri on June 27, 2014 was represented by 32 of the 34 States and Union Territories, he said he knows what wrong was committed in Haryana, where 65,000 acres of land was acquired, but he would not tell it now.
Singh, one of the Congress old guards in Haryana, switched camps after a "raw deal" to him by his erstwhile party whom he accused of siding with Hooda side time and again. Taking a dig at how the Samajwadi Party carried out its land acquisition process, he pointed out that the UP Government had acquired 3,600 acres of land for the Expressway project on a single day itself — December 31. He recalled that the UP Government too had demanded to do away with the consent clause in its meeting with the Centre.
He said villagers from Bhatta Parsaul, from where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had spearheaded a movement against land acquisition, are coming to him to inform him how they were cheated on the issue of relief and rehabilitation. He attacked the Opposition saying those advocating famers' interests are spreading false propaganda over the land Bill. They are telling the farmers that all their land will be acquired, but this is not true, he said adding with 70 per cent farmers being small land holders the Government has made provisions for their development.
Summing up his reply to the debate, while he informed about the highlights of the Bills and the amendments, he said the Government was still ready to consider any proposal or suggestion if it's in favour of the farmers and development.