Land Bill Protest: Mayawati’s BSP to hold nation-wide agitation against Centre’s policies

“It seems that altogether the ‘chal-charitra’ and ‘chehra’ of the Modi government including its policies and programmes are anti-people and in favour of capitalists,” said Mayawati.

Attacking the Centre on its policies, especially the land bill, BSP chief Mayawati today announced a nation-wide agitation in the state starting from April 27.

“It seems that altogether the ‘chal-charitra’ and ‘chehra’ of the Modi government including its policies and programmes are anti-people and in favour of capitalists,” party president Mayawati told reporters here, adding, BSP will launch a nation-wide agitation to “expose” this.

In the first phase, massive protest and dharnas will be staged at all district headquarters of BSP in Uttar Pradesh from 11 AM on April 27, Mayawati said, adding that similar protests will be staged on May 2 in others states of the country where the party has its base.

“Dharna will be staged on three main issues — the anti-farmer land bill, neglect by the Centre and state governments of the farmers facing hardships due to rain and hailstorm, bad law and order situation in the state during the three years rule of SP government and their mere announcement of projects in the name of development,” she said.

The second phase of the agitation programme will be decided based on the stand of the Central government, especially on the Land Bill, in the Budget Session resuming on April 20.

The BSP supremo said that she will be holding a meeting of party workers today and tomorrow to give instructions on making the agitation programme a success.

Mayawati stressed that the UPA government had enacted the Land Acquisition Bill in 2013 in which several points of a policy brought in by her government were included.

She said her government had brought a progressive land acquisition policy and a booklet on it will be made available to party members so that they can apprise the people about it.

She alleged that the NDA government has ignored farmers’ interests in the amendments brought in the Act to give undue benefits to handful of capitalists.

“The logic being given by the Prime Minister and the BJP for bringing the amendments are appearing wrong to most of the people.

“Because of this dictatorial stand, many leading farmer organisations have now been forced to take recourse in the Supreme Court for getting justice,” the BSP chief said.

Referring to Modi’s March 22 “Mann Ki Baat” programme, Mayawati said that his comments were “one-sided” on land bill.

“…he should also understand the ‘mann ki baat’ of farmers and accept it or else this programme would be taken as only a medium of gaining cheap popularity and misleading the people,” she said.

Expressing concern over the plight of farmers due to untimely rain and hailstorm, she said that Centre and states should devise a proper system for finalising the compensation and ensure that the announcements being made are actually implemented.

Calling for concrete steps on wavering farmers’ loans from bank and money lenders, Mayawati said, “In Uttar Pradesh, the SP government is merely making major announcements following which farmers are facing hardships and several have died also.”

“Our party also feels that in this hour of crisis the Central and state governments should not act out of any casteist feelings,” she added.

Source:: Indian Express