'Land Bill is like Sanjeevini to Congress'

BENGALURU, April 26: Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the NDA government’s land acquisition Bill is like ‘Sanjeevini’ (life infusing plant) for the Congress. Ramesh told reporters here that just like Kartaka gave political resurrection to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha bypolls in 1978, the Bill will do the same to the Congress in 2015. “My party is not opposing the Bill for the sake of opposition. But it has five main principle objections to the Bill that are not negotiable,” he added.

Asked whether Kartaka has been forthcoming in opposing the Bill, Ramesh said they should put this query to KPCC president G Parameshwara. The latter who was seated beside him said the youth Congress had staged protests on the issue. Ramesh said there are five features in the Bill to which the Congress has proposed changes. The zameenwapsi.com, a website launched by the Congress to oppose the land acquisition bill had received good response, he added. (Agencies)