With the Centre defending the amendments to the land Acquisition Bill, social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said that the Government was doing nothing but trying to mislead people. According to Hazare, the BJP Government has misled people on several fronts, including the black money issue and decentralisation of power.
Following his two-day protest for the same issue, the Gandhian has now threatened to go-ahead with a nation-wide ‘jail bharo andolan’ if the Government does not pay heed to the demands.
“The Government is more worried about the industrialists and not about farmers. The country has woken up now. These people will also take irrigated land and give it to the industrialists,” said Hazare while speaking to a large number of farmer activists who reached Jantar Mantar, a day late for the protest.
Hazare added that there are many clauses in the Ordinance which are not in the farmers’ favour, one of which is not seeking consent of 70 per cent of the farmers. “Under the new law, if farmer’s land is acquired, he cannot approach the court unless the Government permits him. Going to court is the fundamental right of every individual,” he explained, adding that he will form a committee of eight to 10 people to decide the future course of action at the national level.
“We will give people a call of jail bharo andolan after deciding on future course of action. It is only then that the Government will wake up to our demands. The Government is currently under the influence of power and needs to be shown its place... The kick power gives is more dangerous than the kick one gets from consuming alcohol,” he elaborated.
At the meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the bill will benefit farmers and that the amendments brought by his government were based on suggestions and demands made by Congress-ruled states and their Chief Ministers. He had asked party MPs to “bust the myths” propagated by Opposition parties on it.