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The contentious Bill on land acquisition was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid a walkout by the entire Opposition. Another Bill on mining was also introduced and faced strong protests by the Opposition, especially the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which said its provisions “infringed upon the Constitutional rights of the States.”
All the Oppostion parties – Congress, Trinamool Congress (dressed in green in protest), CPI(M), Janata Dal (United), Samjawadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Biju Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, Telengana Rashtra Samithi, Rashtriya Janata Dal and BJP ally Raju Shetty of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana, termed the Bill as “anti-farmer and anti-people.”
Accusing the Narendra Modi government of “bull-dozing” by promulgating an ordinance, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said: “The Ordinance is anti-people and anti-farmer."
"This is a serious legislation. You have refused to send it to the select committee or the standing committee. This bull-dozing attitude of the Government is not right,” said Kharge.
The protests began soon after Rural Development Minister Birender Singh sought the Speaker’s permission to introduce the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015, with the entire Opposition trooping into the well of the House.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister’s poll promise of “ achche din ” (good days), Shetty, an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, said the Bill would instead bring “ bure din ” (bad days) for the entire farming community.
TRS members said while the Prime Minister talks about ‘co-operative federalism’, the views of Chief Ministers are not being taken.
TMC leader Saugata Roy said by removing the clauses on consent and social impact assessment, the Bill will sound the “death knell for farmers” and will be a “boon for corporates”
Even as the Opposition was staging a walk-out, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu tried to pacify them saying the Government was not trying to bull-doze, adding that it was the Opposition that was “insulting democracy”, adding that the “minority cannot dictate to the majority.” (The Opposition is in minority in the Lok Sabha).
Naidu said 32 states and Union Territories had made a representation to the Centre, demanding change in the law as it had made development “impossible“.
Addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting in the morning, Modi had urged BJP members to aggressively defend the Land Bill, saying it will work in the favour of farmers.
Modi, who was present in the House in the morning, however, left by the time the din began.
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