The Opposition on Thursday continued to attack the Government in Rajya Sabha on land Acquisition Bill, religious conversions and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for neither condemning hate speeches, nor acting against those making them.
Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury even went on to say that the ruling dispensation was actually an RSS Government. He added that though PM has talked about tolerance and citizen's right to pursue their faith, he neither condemned, nor gave any assurance that action would be taken against any person who violates the law by making such speeches.
Citing Modi's speech on the existence of plastic surgery in India in the ancient times, Yechury said philosophy is being replaced by theology and history is replaced by mythology. Taking a dig at the Make in India initiative, Yechury said reality was different from rhetoric and that companies like Nokia have shut down manufacturing units at a time when the Government was pushing for local production.
On land Acquisition Bill, Yechury said that due to faulty policies of the Government the cultivation area has shrunk by 5.3% over last one year, factory output growth fell from 3.9% to 1.7% and farmers suicides have increased. "It is not your business to be in business. let the businessmen do it. You are promoting their interest," he said.
Rao criticised Government's Jan Dhan Yojna saying most of the accounts are with zero balance while adding that the scheme Beti Bachao Beti Padhao launched with much fanfare has not been allocated single penny.
Congress member Manishankar Aiyer said he sympathised with the President for reading out one of the "dullest and boring speeches", which was "only a laundry list of claims and lacks vision." On the land Acquisition Bill, Aiyer accused Jaitely of twisting Congress' position by saying it was anti-industry. "We are all for urbanisation and industry but not by displacing people. We are concerned for compensation and livelihood. No Government in the world acquires land for private sector," he said.