Two Major Allies Join Attack on Government Over Land Reforms

Lawmakers from the Akali Dal said there should be consensus among the parties and the farmers' views need to be incorporated, sources told NDTV. Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa also reportedly said the party will oppose it if the Punjab Land Act has to be altered following the new land law.

Sources also said that some of the NDA lawmakers voiced fears about the government earning an anti-farmer tag if the law is pushed through. Several parliamentarians also suggested that better communication be developed with farmers and provisions should be made in the bill to return unutilized acquired land to them.

Ally Shiv Sena, which skipped the meeting, emphasised that its absence did not mean it was against the government on the issue. But the party's Sanjay Raut said, "Shiv Sena is also not against the farmer... we will deliberate within the party and then announce our opinion."

All opposition parties and some, which in the past had supported the Narendra Modi government, have alleged that the changes in the land acquisition laws that it is seeking to push are "anti-farmer."

The Modi government tabled a bill to replace the controversial ordinance in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid allegations from the opposition that it is trying to give parliamentary procedure a go by. The Congress walked out.

Outside Parliament, activist Anna Hazare led a farmer's protest, alleging the land ordinance seeks to change the law to favour only industrialists. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined the protest on Tuesday and slammed the central government.

Under pressure, the BJP has reached out to farmers. Party chief Amit Shah has set up an eight-member committee which will collect suggestions from farmers on land acquisition.

The Congress alleges the Modi government's land ordinance "fundamentally alters" a law that was passed with the BJP's approval two years ago. The ordinance seeks to scrap a social impact assessment and the need for the consent of 70 per cent land owners before agricultural land is acquired.

In Rajya Sabha, the government has promised a detailed discussion before it tables the land bill. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley defended the slew of ordinances issued by the government when Congress leader Anand Sharma alleged, "You expect Parliament to rubberstamp your ordinances... you don't send anything to the Standing Committee."

Restrictions on buying land, under the law championed by the Congress government, are among barriers holding up projects worth almost $300 billion or nearly Rs 20 lakh crore in sectors such as rail, steel, mining and roads.