Anna Hazare launches land stir, promises protest will get bigger

Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare Friday kicked off an agitation against the land acquisition ordinance from in Palwal near Faridabad on Friday.

Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare Friday kicked off an agitation against the land acquisition ordinance from in Palwal near Faridabad on Friday.

Anna-Hazare-addresses-farmers-in-Palwal-on-Friday-Sushil-Kumar-HT-photo

Warning of a bigger agitation in the future, he lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for diluting provisions of the land acquisition bill.

Addressing farmers under the banner of ‘Bhoomi Adhikar Chatavni Satyagrah Yatra’ in Palwal on Friday, he said: “This is just the beginning. A big revolution will start on February 24 in Delhi. After carrying out yatras and padyatras in every nook and corner of the country, a much bigger agitation will start at Ramlila Maidan within two to three months,” Hazare said.

Commenting on the NDA government’s Land Acquisition Ordinance, Hazare said that there was no difference between English rulers and the present day Indian government. “They used to snatch farmers’ land and the same is being practised by the present government,” he said.

He said that the Land Acquisition Bill 2013 had a special clause under which the land would be acquired only after the consent from 70% of the farmers and preference was to be given to infertile land. But the Ordinance promulgated by this government is detrimental to the farmers’ interests.

While talking to the media, Hazare said that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had assured his full support to the agitation, but he won’t be allowed to share the stage during the two dharnas beginning February 24.