Rajnath Singh asks Centre to help farmers, breaks his fast

BJP leader Rajnath Singh today asked the Centre to help the farmers of western Uttar Pradesh agitating over the issue of land acquisition.

Ending his 24-hour-long fast after drinking a glass of juice offered by senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, the former BJP president said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should come forward to save the lives of the farmers and a new act should be formed regarding land acquisition soon.

The Ghaziabad MP who was detained yesterday during an agitation in support of Greater Noida farmers, said that Mayawati and UPA government were hand in glove on the issue of land acquisition.

"Mayawati government is anti-farmer government and a commission should be formed to inquire into atrocities committed by police on farmers in Greater Noida," Swaraj said.

JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, who also joined Rajnath Singh, today alleged that Mayawati government has a nexus with corporate builders in land scam. Under the land act, this should be scrapped.

Rajnath Singh along with BJP leader Arun Jaitley and M A Naqvi was yesterday arrested on charge of breach of peace when they were agitating in support of farmers of Greater Noida who want more compensation from the state government for their acquired land.

Rajnath Singh had started a 24-hour fast yesterday at the Ambedkar park here to protest against atrocities on farmers by the UP government. Jaitley and Naqvi, along with some state unit leaders of BJP, had gathered to support him.