Opposition Vindicated Over Land Bill Issue: Congress
NEW DELHI: Asserting that Opposition has been vindicated on the Land bill issue, Congress today said the country had lost eight months due to "politics of obstinacy, rigidity and non-engagement" by the Modi Government.
Reacting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that ordinance on the Land Acquisition bill would not be re-promulgated, the party said "truth has has ultimately prevailed ".
"I want to remind for the past eight months the country has lost time out of politics of obstinacy, rigidity, non-engagement. Politics of ego does not serve national interests," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
Singhvi said the Prime Minister's announcement suggests that the legislation will be brought in its original form after the constant flip-flop of the Modi dispensation.
He said it showed that the government found no way out over the issue in the wake of very strong opposition from across the political spectrum including from some NDA allies like Shiv Sena and Akali Dal.
Singhvi stressed that not only the UPA, but non-UPA and non-NDA parties like TMC and BJD had voiced their opposition to several provisions of the controversial measure.
Congress-led opposition and BJP were at loggerheads on the land bill issue with Rahul Gandhi leading the agitation against the measure dubbing it as anti-farmer and pro-corporate.
Speaking separately, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh, who was the brain behind the UPA's land acquisition Act, said that "truth has ultimately prevailed (Satyamev Jayate)".
Ramesh was the Rural Development Minister in the UPA Government when the measure was passed in Parliament in 2013.
Prime Minister had today said in his radio address, "We are ready to amend the land acquisition Act to benefit farmers who were subjected to misinformation leading to a lot of apprehension in their minds on the law.
"I have decided that the land ordinance be allowed to lapse. But 13 pointers that will benefit the farmers will be issued." Modi's announcement comes in the wake of the government's inability to push its proposed amendments to the land law in the monsoon session of Parliament amid widespread opposition.
Just short of blaming the Opposition for stirring a controversy on the land bill, the PM said, "Many rumours being spread about the land acquisition bill. Farmers have been scared... We do not want that. Amending the bill had become essential to free it from red tape."