'Govt shouted, threatened and ran off', Rahul on land bill

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Aug 04 2015 | 4:02 PM IST
Taking a swipe at government over its U-turn on land bill, Rahul Gandhi today said it "ran off" after "threatening" and shouting" in the face of resistance by Congress and vowed that the party will similarly keep up pressure for resignations in Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues.
"On the land issue, Congress stood in front of them. They (government) shouted, made too much noise, threatened and later made a U-turn and ran off," the Congress Vice President said, a day after BJP members in a parliamentary panel moved amendments to restore provisions of the UPA's land law.
"Similarly, on the issue of corruption, Vyapam, on the issue of Rajasthan Chief Minister and Sushma Swaraj, we will not minimise the pressure on them even if they throw us out of Parliament or do not let us enter Parliament," Rahul said.
He made the remarks while agitating with party MPs in Parliament House complex in protest against suspension of its 25 members from Lok Sabha.
The Congress MPs faced action after they did now allow the house to function demanding the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping Lalit Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minisiter Shivraj Singh Chouhan over Vyapam scam.
Rahul said the Congress will 'gherao' the government on these issues in the entire country.
Reacting to the remarks, Rural Development Minister Birender Singh said, "Those who stand at 44 will speak only this language".
Congress was reduced to its least tally of 44 seats in Lok Sabha in the last general elections.
The barbs from both sides came as the government expressed readiness to accept recommendations of the panel on land, which restored provisions of the UPA law, insisting that it was not a climbdown as it was always open to changes on which there is consensus.
All 11 BJP members moved amendments in Joint Committee of Parliament seeking to bring back key provisions of UPA's land law including on consent clause and social impact assessment by dropping the changes brought by Modi Government in December last year and subsequently revalidated by Ordinance thrice.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 04 2015 | 4:02 PM IST

Next Story