Cong slams govt 'high-handedness', vows to intensify land stir

Congress today accused the BJP Government of "high-handedness" and carrying out a "brutal latchicharge" on its party workers who took to the streets against the Land Acquisition bill, and vowed to take its protest on the issue in every nook and corner of the country.
"We condemn the high-handedness and arbitrary attitude towards the peaceful protesters' voice against land acquisition. We condemn the brutal lathicharge, the use of water canons. Over 50 persons are injured and over 500 party workers detained at Parliament Street Police Station.
"It is not going to do away (with the protest). Government cannot wish it away. It is not restricted to Congress and some Opposition parties, the protest has spread even to NDA allies. It will not remain limited to Delhi. It will spread in every nook and corner of India," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

Dismissing the amendments brought in the new land bill as a mere "eyewash", he said that the government has "killed the spirit of the original bill" that was brought in 2013 by the UPA by exempting social impact survey and consent of farmers in land acquisition in major areas.
"They have swallowed the whole land bill. Our strong opposition to the bill will remain in and outside Parliament... Such lathicahrge will not silence us," Singhvi said.
Hundreds of Congress workers today clashed with police during a protest against bill, saying it was anti-farmer.
Police resorted to lathi-charge and used water canons, leading to injuries to some, including Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Brar, when Congress workers tried to break barricades at Jantar Mantar to proceed towards Parliament.

The Congress protest has come a day ahead of the march by 10 political parties including Left, Trinamool Congress, parties of Janata Parivar to President on the issue tomorrow.