Sir — Besieged by an unprecedented opposition against the land Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi resorted to his pet radio programme, Mann ki Baat, to assuage the fears of the farmers on the Bill. Though Mr Modi touched upon many issues, the programme was mainly focussed on the land Bill. His talk has indicated that the Government wishes to pass the Bill at any cost. The Government may convene a joint sitting of Parliament for the passage of the Bill. In his talk, the Prime Minister criticised the Opposition for spreading lies about the Bill.
The Opposition, particularly the Congress, will have to respond with credibility to Mr Modi’s accusation. The Prime Minister’s claim of inclusion of 13 special purposes for land acquisition in his Bill is also noteworthy. The Congress must come forward to clarify why the UPA Government had kept these purposes out of their Act. In a nutshell, it can be said that Mr Modi has succeeded in turning the tables on the Opposition on the land Bill.