Japan, China want land to be reserved for them: Medha Patkar

She said the Land Acquisition Bill has provisions which are against the interests of farmers, labourers & urban poor

Activist Medha Patkar on Thursday alleged that leaders and officials from Japan and China were visiting India as they want land to be reserved for them in the country.

"Why Japanese officials and Chinese President are visiting India? Only because, they want the land in the country to be reserved for them. That is what Modi government is doing," she told reporters during a protest march by activists against the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Bill, 2014.

She claimed that the Bill, which was introduced in the Assembly by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government yesterday and taken up for discussion today, would lead to "hurried, hasty and undemocratic grabbing of land" and the situation would be worst than that of British era.

Patkar alleged that it was against the interests of farmers, labourers, urban poor and common people and it would bypass the central act that was passed last year.

She urged former Chief Minister and Opposition leader Ashok Gehlot to oppose the Bill.

PUCL General Secretary Kavita Srivastava, who was also protesting against the Bill, termed introduction of Bill as a move of the state government to undermine democratic and Constitutional principles and traditions.

She said the bill has provisions which will make the law draconian.