Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed the Centre for recommending promulgation of an Ordinance to amend Land Acquisition Act, 2013, alleging that the move was meant to serve the interest of corporates and will reduce the "bargaining power" of the farmers.
The party said that the 2013 Act was a product of long years of struggle and the envisaged changes will made the Act akin to the Colonial 1894 land acquisition law. "The Act (2013) had increased the bargaining power of the farmers of the country which is being taken away. In one stroke the government is in a way taking the country back to colonial rule by making the law akin to the 1984 land acquisition law," AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said.
Yadav alleged that the government's move will serve the interests of "corporates" following the "so called Gujarat model". "The government is seeking to serve the interests of the corporates without considering the impact the move will have on the adivasis and farmers. It is facilitating the way for giving land to industrialists following the so called Gujarat model," the senior AAP leader claimed.
Yesterday, the Union government said that the mandatory "consent" clause and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) will not be applicable if land is acquired for five areas of industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.
On the row surrounding the resignation of IIT Delhi Director, Yadav alleged that the government was "attacking the autonomy" of IIT. "Is it true that that HRD Minister Smriti Irani insulted and created pressure on the Director over Subramanian Swamy following which he resigned?" Yadav asked.
The AAP leader also came down heavily on the Haryana government's decision to remove senior IAS officer Pradeep Kasni as Gurgaon divisional commissioner. "Kasni is known to be one of the most honest IAS officer of Haryana and he was transferred after he sent a detailed report to the Haryana Chief Secretary on illegal land deals in Gurgaon," Yadav said, asking the Haryana government to make the purported report "public".
Meanwhile, the party denied that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's remark that he was a 'bania' at a traders rally yesterday, was not aimed at wooing any particular community. When asked about the issue, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, "AAP doesn't play politics by targeting any community. He was speaking merely on the terms of profit and loss," Sisodia said.
Read - Arvind Kejriwal describes self as 'baniya', tries to woo traders ahead of Delhi polls
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