New Delhi: Unrest over the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 is still prevailing.
Congress on Monday took to the streets to protest against government’s land bill which it calls anti-farmer and pro-corporate.
Thousands of youth Congress activists took out a rally in the national capital from the Rajghat to Parliament against the bill for land acquisition along with Congress MP Raj Babbar.
To break up the protests, which got out of hand, police used water cannons and lathis to disperse the crowds on Parliament Street.
“Anti-farmers BJP stands exposed today, farmers and Congress will win,” party leader Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
The Congress’ agitation against the Bill, led by its senior leader Jairam Ramesh, began on March 13 from Bhatta Parsaul villages in western Uttar Pradesh.
According to sources before Rahul Gandhi left the country, Congress vice-president and his team, including Ramesh and Ajay Maken, had planned a series of protests since the government brought in an ordinance amending the UPA’s flagship land acquisition law.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the struggle in and outside the Parliament over the Land Acquisition Bill would continue.
The Lok Sabha had last week passed the Land Acquisition Bill of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre via a voice vote. Nine amendments to the bill had been adopted.
Several other parties including the Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have also opposed the ruling BJP’s Land Acquisition Bill.
Lalu Yadav on Sunday rallied in Patna to protest against Land Acquisition Bill and whereas Bihar chief minister too sat on a day long fast on Saturday against the bill calling it an anti-farmer.
Earlier, anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare on March 9 announced that he would set off on his ‘padyatra’ (foot-march) against the land bill on March 25 from Sevagram and will conclude on April 27.
Even AAP has announced to support the agitation against the Land Acquisition Bill.