Mayawati asks Centre to withdraw 'anti-farmer' Land Bill

Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday dubbed the controversial Land Acquisition Bill as 'anti-farmer' and asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government to withdraw it.

"Land acquisition ordinance is anti-farmer. The Centre must withdraw it and all opposition parties along with the BSP oppose it," she said.

"This government doesn't seem to be making serious efforts in the direction of fulfilling the huge promises made to the people during the Lok Sabha poll campaign," she added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has, however, decided to launch a counter-offensive against the opposition's 'misinformation' campaign on the land bill, adopting a political resolution on the same at the concluding day of the party's national executive meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The Land Acquisition Ordinance, which the Centre could not get converted into a legislation in the Rajya Sabha due to stiff opposition, was on Friday re-promulgated.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the Ordinance as recommended by the Union Cabinet on March 31.

The earlier Ordinance is to lapse on Saturday as it has not been converted into a legislation during the first part of the Budget Session as required under the Constitution.

The fresh Ordinance, which is the 11th by the NDA Government, incorporates nine amendments that were part of the bill passed in Lok Sabha last month.

It is pending before the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA coalition lacks the numbers to get it passed.