Ashutosh warns govt. of nationwide protests against Land Acquisition Bill

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh on Tuesday warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government that his party would launch nation-wide protests if it does not address the growing anger among people against the Land Acquisition Bill.

Ashutosh also termed the bill as 'anti-farmer' and 'anti-poor'.

"The Land Acquisition Bill has already created so much of anger among people, it is anti-farmer, it is anti-poor and it is anti-village. This anger is getting sharper and sharper. If government doesn't realise, then it will turn into a great all India movement and then government's countdown will begin," Ashutosh told ANI.

Meanwhile, Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh are likely to lead a march later in the day, starting from the Parliament House to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, to protest against the bill.

Along with the Congress, leaders of the Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI (M), DMK and the INLD, among others, will also reportedly participate in the protest.

Opposition parties have united over the contentious bill, claiming that it is an anti-farmer legislation.

Leaders of these parties are expected to submit a memorandum against the new land bill to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Meanwhile, the NDA Government proposes to have another round of discussion with the opposition before moving it in Rajya Sabha.

Earlier this month, the Lok Sabha passed The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 amid a walkout by opposition parties even as the government moved nine amendments to address concerns raised by farmers.

Shiv Sena, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, abstained during the voting.

The proposed legislation removes the need for obtaining consent of land-owners and carrying out social impact assessment (SIA) for acquiring land under certain categories-precisely the provisions which had raised the heckles of critics.

The bill faces a tough call in the Rajya Sabha where the government is in a minority.

The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated by the government in December last year which amended the earlier law passed by the Congress-led UPA in 2013.