The government continues to face stiff opposition in and outside Parliament for its proposed land Bill. While the Youth Congress will gherao Parliament on Monday, MPs from nine parties will march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday in protest against the Bill.
The Congress party’s agitation against the Bill, led by senior leader Jairam Ramesh, began from March 13 at Bhatta and Parsaul villages in western UP and will end with gherao of Parliament on March 16.
Before he left the country, Mr. Gandhi and his team, including Mr. Ramesh and Ajay Maken, who is now president of the Delhi unit of the Congress, had planned a series of protests since the government brought in an ordinance amending the UPA’s flagship land acquisition law.
Congress has two-pronged strategy on Land Bill
While Congress leaders declined to say whether Mr. Gandhi would address the protesters, they confirmed that he is directly involved in the exercise.
The party’s two-pronged strategy is to rally as much support from farmers and civil society groups outside Parliament against the amendment of the UPA’s land bill of 2013 and from Opposition parties inside Parliament.
Derek O’ Brian, leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha, tweeted on Sunday that nine parties would come together to protest the land Bill on Tuesday.
“RashtrapatiJi has granted us an appointment. MPs from 9 parties opposed to Land Bill will walk from Parl to R Bhavan on Tue March 17 at 6 pm,” Mr. O’ Brian tweeted.
Eight parties — Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI and Kerala Congress (M) — have so far confirmed their participation in the march. There is a possibility of other leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, joining the march.
The land Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 10 ago after the government carried out nine amendments and persuaded most of its allies to support it. The Bill will now be considered in the Rajya Sabha where the numbers are not in favour of the NDA government.
