NITI Aayog meeting: Congress keeps options open

The Congress is yet to take a stand on its chief ministers participating in the July 15 meeting of the NITI Aayog called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the controversial land acquisition bill, a party source said on Sunday.

The statement comes amid speculation that the Congress chief ministers may not attend the meeting.

The Congress source, who did not want to be named, said no direction had yet been given to the party's chief ministers on taking part in the meeting.

"The party will take a view," said the source, who deals with the media.

The leader said he saw no harm in Congress chief ministers attending the meeting and articulating their views against the bill.

Modi has convened the second meeting of the government council of NITI Aayog on July 15, in which the contentious land acquisition bill is expected to be discussed.

The meeting is being seen as an attempt by the NDA government to break the deadlock over the controversial bill that faces strong opposition from the Congress.

The Congress wants that there should be no deviation from the land bill passed by parliament in 2013.

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment Bill, 2015) has been referred to a joint committee of both houses of parliament under the chairmanship of BJP member from West Bengal S.S. Ahluwalia.