NCP holds strong views on land bill

The NCP today said it still has strong views on the land acquisition bill but political differences cannot come in the way of inter-personal relationship its leader Sharad Pawar has with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, he said though the party has snapped ties with Congress since the Maharashtra Assembly elections, they were together on major issues and Sonia Gandhi still had a high standing in the Congress and with allies.
"We will hold to our strong views (on the land bill) unless the government accepts some changes," NCP leader Praful Patel told NDTV when asked about the warming up of ties between Pawar and Modi.

Insisting that despite political differences, he said there could be personal relationships among political rivals.
"We have got personal relationships. Some decorum and dignity should be maintained," he said adding he and Pawar did not believe in enmity among political rivals.
Patel said his party supported the insurance bill because it was originally a UPA legislation and the party could not go back on it.

Similarly on coal and mines auction, he said if something had gone wrong earlier "we will act responsibly and support legislation in national interest".
Asked about Rahul Gandhi's sabbatical during the budget session of Parliament, he said every MP has a responsibility to his electorate. "As MP we have responsibilities to the people like participate in debates. Parliamentary functioning is important."

On the raging row over conflict of interest, especially his role in the Group of Ministers during the UPA regime with his background as a stakeholder in a beedi group, Patel said normally an MP or a minister who has a conflict of interest should not be involved in decisions relating to his interest.
However, he claimed that the decision to post pictorial warning, the biggest size on cigarette, beedi and tobacco packets, came during the UPA regime.
Banning tobacco products was not a solution to the evil, he said adding it would have implications on the livelihood of people involved in various aspects of the industry.