Maya threatens to gherao Parliament

Addressing BSP workers in the capital on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati warned that the party would gherao Parliament in the monsoon session, if needed, to push for a new national policy on land acquisition. HT reports.

Addressing BSP workers in the capital on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati warned that the party would gherao Parliament in the monsoon session, if needed, to push for a new national policy on land acquisition.

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"Who stopped the Congress from changing the 117-year-old Land Acquisition Act 1894, when it was in power for such a long period. It was evident that the Congress was not changing the policy to benefit capitalists. It was betraying the farmers continuously," Mayawati said.

Under attack over the recent Tappal and Bhatta-Parsaul land acquisition controversies, she sought to turn the heat on the Congress and the BJP: "Farmers are agitating in Congress -ruled and BJP-ruled states on the issue of land acquisition, but nobody is concerned about them."

She also attacked the Centre over scams taking place one after another: "Though Congress is known as an origin of corruption in this country, corruption amounting to millions of rupees and several scams exposed recently have shamed the entire country." She also attacked the Centre over inflation and petrol price hikes.

Mayawati also pitched for the wellbeing of migrant labour from UP and Bihar in Delhi — which she sees as her potential vote base in Delhi — saying that the Delhi government gave them step-motherly treatment.

"The amount involved in Commonwealth Games could be utilised for ...the development of bastis of the people who came from UP and Bihar," she said, while demanding the regularisation of these irregular bastis with immediate effect.