Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written to social activist Anna Hazare expressing her agreement with his concerns on the NDA Government’s land Bill and vowed to oppose it at all fora. Sonia wrote to Hazare in reply to his earlier missive and referred to the protest march to President House by the representatives of 14 parties on the issue on Tuesday.
“I have got your letter dated March 14 in which you have talked about your doubts about the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015. I am in agreement with your views that the Ordinance of the NDA Government and the amendment Bill, which is now before Parliament, is not in the interest of farmers,” Sonia said in her letter. Asserting that Congress will oppose this Bill on all fora, Sonia cited the protest march by parties and President’s intervention into the matter as an example of their opposition to the Bill. “I want to assure you that our fight on this issue will continue,” she said.
The exchange of letters between Congress president and Hazare have come amid signs of some bonhomie between the party and the Gandhian, with Hazare sometime praising Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his role in getting the lokpal Bill passed by Parliament. last month, Hazare held a protest at Jantar Mantar against the land Bill in the first major public agitation against the BJP-led Government. Congress held a protest at the venue after that in which it had invited Hazare as well. While they did not attend each other’s protest, the bonhomie is visible.