Battleship Land Bill: When Rahul Gandhi Raised a Storm

Rahul Gandhi has caused a stir with his remarks on the Land Bill, leaving the BJP foaming at the mouth.

Back from his 56-day sabbatical, Rahul Gandhi came out, guns blazing, labelling Narendra Modi “anti-poor.” The BJP took Rahul’s remarks personally, questioning the ‘Vadra Model of Land Acquisition’. The Land Bill battle played out all through Sunday on news channels -

Questioning the Fine Print

Congress leaders PC Chacko and Rita Bahuguna Joshi, on Times Now, said the BJP’s version of the Bill left little room for the farmer to have a say in the acquisition of his land:

We are suggesting improvements but the BJP isn’t willing. They have removed the social impact assessment clause, but we feel its a must. The Bill takes away the rights of the farmers, yet the PM sayshe is pro-poor. If that’s the case, why tamper with the Bill?
–PC Chacko, Congress Leader

The BJP’s Nalin Kohli defended the Bill, insisting it actually gave farmers a better deal:

People want facts, not hype. We have improved the UPA’s bill and we are definitely not swayed by business interests. Loans are being eased for the farmers and every effort has been made to make the Bill pro-poor.
–Nalin Kohli, BJP Spokesperson

Chacko also claimed that BJP was taking credit for pro-farmers initiatives of the UPA regime, such as the Grameen Sadak Yojana. If the BJP was pro-farmer, why was farmer distress due to unseasonal rain being addressed, Chacko asked:

Rita Bahuguna Joshi also asked why the consent clause had been watered down:

Why remove the consent clause? Within five years you are supposed return the land if the project for which land is acquired does not take off. But what will be the deciding factor? We will not allow you to tamper with the spirit of the Bill.
–Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Congress Party

In Defence of the PM

BJP leader Shaina NC defended the compensation clause, underlining the transparency in the compensation process:

Compensation will go directly into the farmers’ bank account and there will be no irregularity there.

- Shaina NC, BJP Spokesperson

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s charge that the Modi Government was ‘pro-corporate’, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra argued that the party was in fact exacting funds from the corporate sector for the betterment of the poor:

Look at the Coal Block auction... we have extracted Rs 2 lakh crore from industry in the auction of 20 coal blocks. This money will be used for the poor. As far as the consent clause goes, not an inch of land will be acquired without the consent of farmers.
–Sambit Patra, BJP Spokesperson.

With his Kisan Rally, Rahul has stirred a political storm over the Land Bill once again. As the Parliament reconvenes, the stand-off is likely to end in a joint session. If the churn results in legislation that benefits all stakeholders, the country will be the richer for it.