Modi govt plans counter-campaign on Land Bill

Coming under sustained attack from the Opposition, which has termed the government anti-poor and anti-farmer , the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to turn the tables and quell the "disinformation campaign". The party has planned a series of rallies to be held over the next three months in a counter-campaign.

The BJP wants to send out a clear message that the government is not going to backtrack on Land Bill. It also made it clear that the party stood firmly with the government on the issue. "There is a strong view in the party to fully back the prime minister. The party has endorsed all decisions taken by the government. The party is firmly behind the Land Bill ... Co-ordination between the party and the government has never been a problem, at least not in the last 10 months," Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at the BJP national executive that ended here on Saturday.

Sending out a strong message that the party cared for the poor and marginalised in the society, the slogan of the BJP's national executive was "Antyodaya Lakshya".

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the programmes initiated under Deen Dayal Upadhyay centenary celebrations should give a "big push" for the Antyodaya schemes aimed at uplifting the poor masses, the national executive came out with the political resolution that party leaders as well as ministers will reach out to farmers in every village and explaining to them all aspects of the Bill.

Following the agenda, a big rally has been planned in Jharkhand on April 6 where Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will speak to farmers and villagers about the positive aspects of the Land Bill which was discussed in detail on Saturday.

"We will not allow the disinformation campaign. The party will reveal the facts at every village and tell people that we have come with a law that is in favour of farmers and people... All party members would be going out to explain to the public the contents of the Land Bill. The intention of the government is to help farmers," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Asked if the national executive members expressed concern over any aspect of the Bill, she said, "Chinta (concern), if there is any, is about the disinformation campaign."

Sitharaman said the party will engage with allies like the Shiv Sena and the Shiromani Akali Dal, which have expressed serious reservations, and added that the BJP's intention was to take everybody on board. "When we are willing to engage with the Opposition, then why would we not engage with our own allies," she added.

On further amendments to the Bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was open to minor changes if the Opposition behaves positively.

The political resolution was moved by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and seconded by Gadkari, who has been a key party pointsman on the Bill.

Jaitley made the concluding remarks on the resolution. On the party structure, Modi endorsed BJP president Amit Shah's proposal to have offices in all districts of the country.