Charging the Bharatiya Janata Party government with taking steps to promote corporate interest at the cost of farmers’ livelihood through the amended Land Acquisition Bill and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of supporting the move, members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday staged a protest here at the Red Cross Junction.
Led by Member of Legislative Assembly and its State Executive Committee member K. Thangavel, the cadre, around 600 of them, said that at a time when all parties were coming together to protest against the changes made to the Bill as it paved way for acquiring farmers’ lands without their consent, the AIADMK alone supported the move, which was for selfish reasons.
Former Member of Parliament P.R. Natarajan and party leaders V. Ramamoorthy, K. Durairaj, K. Kamaraj and others participated. Cadre from Tirupur, Erode and The Nilgiris were also present.
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Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Thangavel said that the CPI-M had on Monday conducted the protest in several parts of the State as well to highlight the anti-people move of the people.
The Bill would also negatively impact the food production in the country.
Later in the evening, members of the Congress party led by former Member of Parliament R. Prabu staged a protest against the changes made to the Land Acquisition Bill saying that the protection clauses the Congress had brought in were amended by the BJP government so as to favour corporate companies.
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He also criticised the AIADMK for supporting the Bill. The Congress had petitioned the President in this regard, he said and added that his party would fight the Bill both within and outside the Parliament.
Congress leaders M.N. Kandasamy, R. Venkatachalam, Mahesh Kumar and V.M.C. Manoharan and others also participated.