Adopting a cautious approach on the controversial land Acquisition Bill that appeared to have provided an immediate glue for Opposition unity, the Modi Government on Tuesday sent mixed signals to its political opponents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the Government would not step back on its amended Bill. In the BJP Parliamentary Party meet, 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 asked party MPs to “bust the myths” propagated by Opposition parties on it.
In the Rajya Sabha, however, leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley indicated that the Government may hold discussion with all political parties to address their concerns before introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The assurance from the Finance Minister came after the entire Opposition protested that they were not consulted on the Bill, which according to them was anti-farmer. The Opposition blamed the Government
for trying to “bulldoze” Parliament as the ruling party had majority.
Sources in the BJP suggested that the Government may bring the Bill for discussion at the fag-end of the first-phase of the Budget Session before the recess.
One of the BJP leaders felt that “consent” from “Gram Sabhas” for acquisition of land was not feasible as “Panchayati Raj” was not structured at grassroots level in many States and claimed that the Bill as brought by his party was “satisfactory on all counts”.
Meanwhile, the BJP discussed with NDA partners the contentious provisions of the Bill to make the legislation more “effective” and “farmer-friendly”. NDA ally Shiv Sena made its position clear on the Bill by boycotting the NDA meeting.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaih Naidu presided over a meeting of NDA MPs where Rural Development Minister Birender Singh gave a detailed presentation on the Bill. He said the Government was willing to discuss the issues with all stakeholders.
Naidu later said many NDA MPs gave a suggestion that land where projects were cleared but not taken off even after 20 years of acquisition should be given back to farmers. He said the land Ordinance was brought after as many as 32 States and Union Territories had sought amendment in the law because infrastructure development was held up. Naidu told the MPs that any law brought by the State in this regard would not be overruled by the Central law. Akali Dal MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said there were certain misgivings which were removed by Naidu and they will consult within the party as to whether to support the law or not.
The issue of Bill was the focus of BJP’s Parliamentary Party meet where Prime Minister maintained that his Government was committed to welfare of farmers. “It was reiterated at the Parliamentary Party meet that we are for the welfare of farmers and every step that this Government will take will be for the welfare of farmers, for the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden,” Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters after the meeting.
According to sources, the Prime Minister made it clear that the BJP stood for the welfare of farmers and was committed to them. He asked MPs to remove the “myths” allegedly propagated by Opposition parties. The PM is understood to have told MPs that there is need to correct the “wrongdoings” of the previous governments, while noting that the BJP can never take an “anti-farmer” stand on the Bill.
In the Upper House, the Government was overtly conciliatory by assuring agitated Opposition members. When SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said all the political parties, including the BJP, were taken into confidence before passing the land Acquisition Act in 2013, but this practice was not followed this time, Jaitley said he will convey these concerns to Agriculture Minister Birender Singh. The Minister will also be informed about the suggestion to hold discussion with Opposition before bringing the Bill to the House, Jaitley said. This assurance pacified the agitated Elders.
As the Government sought to find a way out of the stalemate on the land Bill, BJP president Amit Shah formed an eight-member committee to seek farmers’ suggestions on the proposed land legislation which has been stoutly opposed by several farmers’ organisations.
The committee, of which former Union Minister Satyapal Malik is the convener, will hold discussions with farmers and other organisations on land acquisition.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has so far met representatives of 27 such organisations and more meetings are slated, according to party leaders.
As the Government went ahead with the introduction of the Bill in the lower House, the Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, slammed the Centre for “taking an anti-farmer stand” and warned of its serious implications for the future of the country.
While senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said the party was ready to have discussion on the controversial land Acquisition Bill but would oppose it tooth and nail if it is brought on the floor of the House, senior JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar described it as a “black law” and demanded its immediate recall.
Mulayam said the Government should have evolved a consensus before its introduction and that the concerns of farmers should have been adequately addressed in the legislation.
“The entire Opposition is against the Bill and we are surprised that this Government is, time and again, taking anti-farmer stand. A farmer has nothing except the land in his possession. Farmers’ consent is a must,” Mulayam told the media outside Parliament.
At the moment, the SP chief also referred to a similar legislation passed by his Government in Uttar Pradesh which makes the consent of farmers mandatory and provides adequate compensation to the affected ones. “It (the Bill) will have serious implications for the country in future,” he warned.
Singh said he was unaware of an all-party meet called by the Government to discuss the Bill and said such a move should have been initiated before the introduction of the legislation.
Kamal Nath said that the new amendments would shake the foundation of the land Bill which the Congress had brought in the past. “If they would like to have a discussion, we are open to have that with them. We can find ways and means to go around it. But if they bring it on the floor of the House, we will have to oppose it tooth and nail,” Nath said outside Parliament House.