Anna Hazare asks govt. to withdraw ordinance on Land Acquisition Bill

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare, who will sit on a protest against the ordinance on Land Acquisition Bill, on Thursday lashed out at the government for removing the provisions which provided taking the farmers' consent before acquiring their land.

Hazare said almost 70-80 organizations will come to Delhi to join this agitation, and added that this will be an indication to the government that they should withdraw the ordinance.

"The main issue is that in the year 2013, the Congress and BJP together brought the Land Acquisition Bill. According to that bill, if any industrialist wants to acquire a farmer's land, then 70 percent of people's consent is essential; until then the land cannot be acquired. The new government has deleted this provision. Is this democracy? Then what is the difference between the Congress and your governance," Hazare told the media here.

"If any industrialist acquires the land from a farmer and if no industry is built up till five years, then it was mentioned that the land would be returned to the farmer. It also has been deleted," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Congress party for supporting Hazare's agitation on the Land Acquisition Bill, terming it pure hypocrisy on the part of the party.

"But as far as the Congress party supporting the movement for farmers is concerned, we are unable to understand as to how a party which was responsible for devastation of agricultural sector in India is concerned is taking up the issue of farmers today. This is pure hypocrisy on part of the Congress," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI.

Patra, however, added that his party respected Hazare and would take view of the suggestions made by him.

Hazare will stage a protest in the national capital on February 24 against the Land Acquisition Bill and request the government to withdraw the ordinance.

The protest would be organized by the farmer unions and as per reports, social activist Medha Patkar, along with 70 other organizations from across the country, will participate in it.