A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to social activist Anna Hazare sharing his concerns about the land Acquisition Bill, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday dared both of them for an open debate on the Government’s land reforms.
Attacking those opposing the Bill, Gadkari said, “They are trying to mislead people on the new Bill. They are doing this drama for their own political gains and for their vote bank politics.”
Addressing farmers at a “Samiksha Adhiveshan” organised by All-India Panchayat Parishad in the Capital, he said, “I appeal to them (Sonia, Hazare) for an open debate. I challenge them and if proved wrong, we are ready to offer an apology and include your suggestions.”
The Minister said the NDA Government will never take any anti-farmer decision and it has made changes in the existing Bill in the larger interest of farmers, their rehabilitation and resettlement.
“I invite all for an open debate,” he said. Sources said Gadkari has written to Sonia Gandhi and Hazare and others opposed to the Government’s land reforms, suggesting an open debate “on any platform.”
The Bill, which has been passed by the lok Sabha, faces derailment in the Rajya Sabha, where the Government is in minority. On Wednesday, Sonia led a march of 14 Opposition parties from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhawan to protest against the Bill. She sought President’s intervention “to protect the interest of farmers and to impress upon the Modi Government not to go ahead with the amendments in the Rajya Sabha.”
Gadkari’s letter, the sources said, offers that the Government is willing to debate all aspects of the Bill and is also willing to make changes if required. “Contrary to projections, the proposed land acquisition law isn’t against farmers... It will actually help rural infrastructure, irrigation and road connectivity,” the Minister said in the letter.
“The Narendra Modi-led NDA Government has brought significant amendments keeping the interest of farmers and rural development in mind. But some parties and organisations are opposing this Bill for political reasons,” he said in the letter, adding, “No compromise has been made in the Bill with the compensation provisions for land owners. No provision of the Bill is anti-farmer.”
However, the Congress has mocked Gadkari’s move to write a letter to Sonia Gandhi and Hazare for an open debate, asking, “why this sudden wisdom has dawned” on them and whether the BJP was facing jitters.
Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar also slammed the Centre for “hoodwinking” people through such “diversionary” tactics. Kumar said that the Congress president has “not got the letter so far” and that it is “strange that except the recipient every one else has already got the letter”.
“BJP and Nitin Gadkari should stop hoodwinking and attempting diversionary tactics to dilute the agony, pain and outrage among the entire farming community by Modi Government’s sinister attempt to kill the soul and spirit of Right to Fair Compensation, 2013.
If Prime Minister Modi and BJP are sincere, they should first withdraw the land Acquisition Ordinance and apologise to the entire farming community,” the party said in a press release posing half a dozen questions to the NDA Government.
The statement also referred to earlier reports of Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh not being in favour of the Ordinance, a contention which he denied later. “Why is the Rural Development Minister mum on the issue, and why has Gadkari become his spokespersonIJ” it said.
The party asked Modi and Gadkari to answer as to why did the BJP unanimously support Right to Fair Compensation Act, 2013 inside and outside Parliament nine months ago and why did they proceed to kill the same law within six months of coming to power even before it could be implemented.
“Will Modi and Gadkari answer as to why did they use the tyranny of majority in the lok Sabha to forcibly pass the land Acquisition Ordinance despite nationwide protests and public outrage,” it said.
On Wednesday, Gandhi wrote to Hazare in a reply to an earlier letter from him in which he had laid down his concerns over the Centre’s move. While agreeing to Hazare’s views that the Ordinance of the NDA Government and the amendment Bill were not in the interest of the farmers, the Congress president assured Hazare through her letter that her party would oppose the Bill on all fora.