Cadre of Communist Party of India on Thursday tried to picket various Central government offices in the district against the proposed Land Acquisition Bill.
The protest was led by V. Rajendran, urban district secretary, in front of Head Post Office, near Old Bus Stand, in the city in which N. Nanjappan, MLA, and cadre participated.
The speakers said that the British introduced the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 that was followed by the Congress government all these years. “The Act favours corporate companies and affect the livelihood of farmers,” they added.
They accused the present NDA government of bringing in amendments to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Act, 2015 that eliminates important clauses that favour the corporate companies.
“If the land acquired remains unused for five years, the land should be returned to the original owner. But, the present ordinance eliminated this clause,” they added. Hence, the CPI cadre demanded that the Centre withdrew the Bill.
Protests were held near Head Post Office, and near Indian Bank in Kondalampatti, Sivadapuram and in Ayothiapattanam.
Protest was held at six places in Namakkal in which 228 cadre, including 51 women, were arrested.
Since police personnel were posted at the offices, cadre were stopped and arrested before they could enter the premises.
Special Correspondent adds from Erode: Over 2,450 members of CPI were arrested when the staged a protest demanding immediate withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Bill.
Most of the protestors led by Bhavani Sagar MLA P.L. Sundaram were arrested in Sathyamangalam taluk. In Erode city, the protest was led by CPI district secretary Tirunavakarasu. All the arrested cadres were released later in the day.
