Land bill aims to grab farmers' land: BKU

Chandigarh, March 15 (IANS) Opposing the Land Acquisition bill brought by the BJP-led central government, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Sunday said the only aim of the proposed law was to grab the farmers' land and help land grabbers.

The issue was raised at a meeting of BKU leaders from Punjab and Haryana held here on Sunday, said BKU leader and former MP Bhupinder Singh Mann. BKU is an Indian farmers' representative organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- of which the Bharatiya Janata Party is deemed as the political wing.

"The meeting discussed about the Land Acquisition Bill which seeks to destroy the basic character of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. On the face of the bill, it is evident that its aim is to grab land from the farmers to help land grabbers," he said.

It was lamented at the meet that the BJP had failed to implement its promise, made in its election manifesto, for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report for farming sector.

"BKU has always been against any move to ruin the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The (Narendra) Modi government has totally destroyed the basic spirit of the Land Acquisition Act, which is against the farmers.

"This bill is aimed to fulfil the nefarious designs of land grabbers," Mann said, adding that the Modi government was trying to pay back to the corporate who had funded the BJP during elections last year.