BackOpposition is misleading people on land bill, says Narendra Modi
Modi's offensive came on a day the govt repromulgated the land acquisition ordinance, which was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee on 31 Mar
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit back at opposition parties for painting the land acquisition bill as anti-farmer, accusing them of misleading the nation for political gains, as his government struggles to push the proposed law that has become the centrepiece of its legislative agenda.
Modi’s offensive came on a day the government repromulgated the land acquisition ordinance, which was signed by President Pranab Mukherjee on 31 March on the cabinet’s recommendation.
On the second day of a three-day meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national executive in Bengaluru, Modi emphasized the central theme of his governance agenda—of making states and the people stakeholders in the country’s growth process.
Modi said he empathized with the country’s farmers and the government was committed to empowering them.
“People who are leading the campaign in the name of farmers are doing so for political gains and are misleading the country," Modi said. “Those who are spreading these lies don’t know how to protect the rights of farmers."
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill has faced staunch resistance from the Congress and other opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP and its allies are in a minority, with only 57 seats in a House of 245 members.
The proposed law, which seeks to replace the ordinance first promulgated on 31 December, makes it easy for businesses to acquire land. Opposition parties say it would undermine the interests of farmers.
The ordinance was repromulgated on Friday, two days before it was due to lapse.
Modi on Friday emphasized his commitment to rural India in his Bengaluru address. “The country will not develop till the time villages don’t develop. We have to strengthen farmers through use of technology, infrastructure, irrigation facilities, power, housing facilities. We have done injustice towards villages and farmers for 60 years," he said.
Given that land is an emotional issue and the opposition parties have united in resisting the government on land acquisition, Modi is seeking to sway public perception by putting forward his case for the legislation, political analysts said.
“There is a general feeling that the government is anti-farmer. The Prime Minister is trying to change this perception. He is trying to convince the people that government will not take steps that will hurt the interests of farmers," said A.K. Verma, a Kanpur-based political analyst. “The Prime Minister has also argued in his speeches that land is needed for development of infrastructure in villages, so that people can benefit."
In his speech, Modi said his government would ensure the return of black money stashed in foreign bank accounts and cited a bill tabled in Parliament to ensure that money is not sent out of the country through illegal means.
He also mentioned the government’s successful auctions of coal mines and telecom spectrum that have raised around ₹ 3 trillion.
Alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal mines and spectrum during the 10-year tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance damaged the image of that government and contributed to its ouster by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in last year’s general election.
PTI contributed to this story.
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