Opposition unites against Modi govt's Land Acquisition Bill

In a rare display of unity under Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the opposition parties on Tuesday marched from Parliament to the President's house with some 100 parliamentarians flanking Sonia in registering a strong protest against the legislation to make land acquisition easier.

It was an unusual sight, possibly indicating larger political realignments as arch rivals Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Derek'O Brien marched along with CPI(M) MP Sitaram Yechury. But Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) stayed away from the walk as it was being led by Sonia as did the AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

After submitting a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee, Sonia said, "We oppose the Narendra Modi government on the Land Bill and are determined to defeat its designs... We request the President to intervene and ask the government not to go ahead with the Land Bill in the Rajya Sabha." As Opposition members-including Congress, NCP, SP, JD(U), RJD, TMC and Left parties-covered a distance of a kilometre from the Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it became clear that the government will find it difficult to pass the legislation in the Upper House before March 20, when the Parliament breaks for a month.

As Sonia walked briskly, she assumed a new role of leader of a united Opposition at a time when the Congress is awaiting Rahul Gandhi's coronation as president.

But the noisy scenes in Parliament receded the march over reports of the Delhi Police denying permission for the protest. The Opposition threatened to court arrest if they were prevented by the police. But the government soon relented and claimed no restrictions were placed in the area.

"We will not stop and will continue the march," Janata Dal(United) chief Sharad Yadav said. Yechury, meanwhile, termed the move against the march a violation of basic rights. Terming the protest anti-development, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, "They should not forget that the people gave majority to this government. If they want to join the Congress, it is up to them."

The march came a day after the Congress protested the Bill at Delhi's Jantar Mantar where its youth wing fought a pitched battle with the police. The Congress is miffed that the land ordinance has completely changed the Land Acquisition Act passed during the previous UPA government, and is particularly upset over the removal of a clause seeking consent of those whose land is to be taken over.

"There is no question of supporting the government on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha," Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.