No flaws in Land Bill: Narendra Modi

In his usual indomitable style, while prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday took pot-shots on opposition, he also targeted a section of his own party MPs and Hindutva groups, by denouncing communalism. Modi said his government's religion is 'India First' and its Holy Book is the Indian Constitution. He also broke silence on proposed amendments in the Land Act, offered to make changes, seek support of the House. He took on the opposition parties while highlighting the achievements and goals of his government while replying the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.

"My government's only religion is 'India first', my government's only religious book is 'Indian Constitution', our only devotion is 'Bharat Bhakti' and our only prayer is 'welfare of all', he said, while referring to communal tensions, and statements by some elements. He, however, asserted that the land acquisition ordinance was brought because all the chief ministers said the law passed by the previous Congress-led UPA government was against the farmers' interests and hampered development.

The motion to thank president for his address was passed amidst high drama, when TMC MP Sougata Roy insisted on his amendment to include a promise to protect secular fabric of country and condemnation of frequent attacks on churches. But the motion was defeated, with just 61 MPs supporting the amendment and the majority 203 opposing it.

Earlier, Modi during his speech challenged the Opposition to show any flaws still left in the Land Bill, as he is ready to tweak it if anything deems to be anti-farmer while urging the Opposition to shed politics instead of making a prestige issue of blocking even good steps of the government. He was replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President's address. Modi also took on Opposition for criticising his frequent foreign travels, asserting that "foreign tours are to find solutions to various problems." He also broke his silence on communalism, declaring that "No one can take the law in their hands and discriminate on the grounds of community."

Modi also seized the opportunity to take on the Congress on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act what it claimed as a flagship programme that returned it to power in 2009, dubbing it as the biggest example of the party's failure. "After 60 years of Independence, people were being paid to dig the ground. Shame on whosoever designed the programme."