Nitish Kumar begins 24-hour fast against land acquisition bill

Patna, March 14 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar began a 24-hour fast here on Saturday morning in protest against the land acquisition amendment bill of the Narendra Modi government.

His fast is a part of Bihar's ruling JD-U stir against the land acquisition bill and to expose the Modi government and mobilise people against it.

Nitish Kumar along with senior party leaders began the fast at the party headquarters, JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said. During the fast Nitish Kumar will take only lemon water, JD-U leaders said.

JD-U state president Vashisht Narain Singh said that hundreds of thousands of party workers and leaders including the chief minister have started a fast across the state in protest against the land acquisition amendment bill.

Nitish Kumar has already described the bill as a "black law", which was against the interests of farmers.

He said the Modi government should take back the law or face a countrywide protest. "The land acquisition amendment bill is anti-farmer and anti-people," he said.