RSS Farm wing BKS demands withdrawal of Land Ordidnance, threatens to join Ann’s movement

23 Feb, New Delhi

The farm wing of the RSS, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has critisized the Centre over the land ordinance, and has threatened to protest if the government fails to withdraw it.

General Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Prabhakar Kelkar said that the land acquisition Act passed by the UPA government was extreme because it made any land acquisition practically impossible.

But the present government has gone to the other extreme by doing away with the 80 per cent landowners’ consent clause and social impact assessment even for land being acquired for private industry.

He said the government could have taken farmers into confidence before bringing the ordinance. He also does not rule out joining Anna Hazare’s movement against the ordinance.

Kelkar said that he is not opposed to land acquisition if it is in the national interest, be it for railways, defence or other public infrastructure.

He questioned that why should the government acquire land for five-star hospitals, private educational institutions or public-private-partnership projects.