Nagpur: Taking their stand against the new Land Acquisition Bill further, the leaders and workers of Nagpur City and District Rural Congress Committee staged a ‘dharna’ (sit-in) agitation at Samvidhan Square (RBI Square) on Thursday (April 16) and later took out a march to Collector’s Office to submit a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister.
The ‘Padayatra’ (march) was led by AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik and Member and former MP Vilas Muttemwar. The Congress leaders submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Collector Abhishek Krishna and demanded immediate withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Bill.
Earlier, addressing the Congress workers at Samvidhan Square, Wasnik said that the Congress, during its 10-year rule at Centre, enacted various Acts for welfare of poor people and farmers. It was Congress Government that provided Rs 12,000 crore to the ambitious Gosikhurd Project in Nagpur District. The project will benefit thousands of acres of land in Vidarbha. “The Land Acquisition Act which was enacted by Congress in 2013 had a provision that entailed permission of 80 percent farmers for private projects and 70 percent farmers for PPP projects. Similarly, there was a provision by which if a project is not completed within five years the land would be returned to the farmers. But the Modi Government has robbed the rights of farmers. A massive rally in opposition of the Land Acquisition Bill is being held in Delhi on April 19. The protests will continue across the country till the Bill is withdrawn,” declared Wasnik.
Wasnik further said, “When Congress tabled the Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament the BJP had supported it, both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The then Chairperson of Standing Committee Sumitra Mahajan had even termed the Bill as best law in the interests of farmers,” said Wasnik.
The Congress leader took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi could not run his own house is now running the country. Amit Shah is ‘party with difference in BJP.’ He often raises questions on Rahul Gandhi. Is kitchen in the house is not running because of Rahul Gandhi? Has Amit Shah’s house got destroyed? Modi is making foreign trips at the expense of people’s money and following his steps, the Chief Minister Fadnavis is also enjoying foreign air,” quipped Wasnik.
AICC Member and former MP Vilas Muttemwar, in his address said, “Modi Government is forcing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to run for courts. The man who had not even drawn his salary during his tenure is being called corrupt. Nitin Gadkari, it seems, has got overactive in favour of Land Acquisition Bill. If this Bill is in the interest of farmers they why is he dodging the questions of farmers and opposition parties? Because, he will miss the bounties in the cover of his Purti company. Mahatma Gandhi gave freedom from Britishers and Modi Government is enslaving the same farmers at the hands of corporate. Ironically, the farmer, with whom Modi had consulted during a ‘Chai Pe Charcha,’ too committed suicide. Metro and MIHAN projects were the concepts of Congress but the BJP leaders are performing bhumipujans and patting their own backs. The present Land Acquisition Bill is opposed by 70 percent population. The Land Acquisition Act brought in by Congress was most studied and consulted. Four Rural Development Ministers had strived hard for preparation of the Act since 2008,” said Muttemwar.
Other leaders who addressed the workers include Nitin Raut, Satish Chaturvedi, Rajendra Mulak, Sunil Kedar, Subodh Mohite, Adv Abhijit Wanjari.
City Congress President Vikas Thakre, Sunita Gawande, Ashok Dhavad, Deepak Katole, Mujib Pathan, and others were also present on the occasion.
Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha(rajeev.nagpurtoday@
