Centre 'diluting' Land Acquisition Act: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today attacked the BJP-led Union Government for allegedly diluting the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 through "back door" changes.

The party also slammed the BJP for making a "volte-face" as the party had "supported" the clauses, that are being "diluted" now, when the previous UPA government moved the Bill in Parliament.

"The government is diluting the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, a product of prolonged struggle by the farmers of the country, by introducing changes through the back door which will impact thousands of farmers across the country," Yogendra Yadav said.

"Ministers in the government like Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj had in fact supported the very clauses, like the provision of consent and Social Impact Assessment. Making a volte-face the government is seeking to dilute those provisions now," the senior AAP leader claimed.

Yadav announced that the party will hold a rally over the issue during the fifth phase of the Delhi Dialogue series at Chhatarpur scheduled for tomorrow.

"We are going to hold a rally over the changes at our rural Delhi Dialogue to be held tomorrow. The party has also decided to launch district level protests wherever the party has presence throughout the country," he said.

On being asked whether AAP was seeking to tap rural votes through these initiatives, Yadav said that the party was bringing forth farmers' grievances.

"We are just bringing forth the grievances of farmers. Who's stopping the BJP and Congress to speak on behalf of the farmers' interest," Yadav asked.

The party intends to bring in "reforms" and make the Delhi Land Reforms Act more "flexible", which have been an impediment in the growth of villages in Delhi, party leader and in charge of Delhi Dialogue Ashish Khetan said.

In the last Assembly election, AAP did not fare well in rural and outer Delhi segments.