Social activist Anna Hazare started a fresh movement against the land Acquisition Ordinance in the national Capital which gathered support from several quarters.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are also expected to participate in the protest being held at Jantar Mantar at 3 pm on Tuesday. Sources said that they would be sharing the dais with Hazare.
As Hazare arrived at the spot to begin his two-day protest against the controversial Ordinance, he flayed the Central Government and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of showing “antipathy” towards farmers.
While hundreds of supporters joined the 77-year-old in the protest, Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar was there as well to support Anna. AAP’s Kumar Vishwas also expressed his desire to join Hazare, but Anna said that he could do so as a participant but couldn’t share the dais with him.
While this is the first phase of his protest for the cause, Hazare said he would take the movement against the Ordinance to each and every district of the country. Though earlier Anna said that he will not allow AAP or Congress to share the stage with him at the protest venue, sources revealed that Kejriwal and Sisodia would be joining him on the stage on Tuesday. Asked whether they would be sharing the stage with Anna at the protest, Sisodia replied, “We would join the protest on Tuesday at 3 pm.”
Meanwhile, Hazare lashed out at the Government and said: “How can you take land away without the consent of the farmers. India is an agricultural country. The Government must think about the farmers. The land Ordinance is very undemocratic. The Government cannot be indifferent to the farmers’ interest. This is the Government of the people of India and not of England or America. It is the people who have made the Government.”
Personally targeting Modi, he added, “Before the elections, the people were promised good days. They trusted the party and voted for them. Now they are forcibly taking away the land from farmers. So the good days are for the corporates not for the common man.”
Terming it as a very serious issue, Hazare said he would take the agitation across the country and will come back to Ramlila Maidan soon if the Government does not heed the farmers’ demand.
“People in the villages are still not aware of these amendments in the land Acquisition Act through an Ordinance. Now, we will make people of every State and district aware of this. A jail-bharo (fill the jails) movement will also be launched from the Ramlila Maidan in three to four months at the end of a march across the country,” he said.
Hazare has been highly critical of the Modi Government for making certain changes in the land Acquisition Act through an Ordinance. On December 29 last year, the Government had recommended promulgation of an Ordinance making significant changes in the land Acquisition Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, Defence and industrial corridors.