New Delhi, May 12: In a view contrary to that of his party, BJP leader L K Advani today appeared to appreciate Rahul Gandhi's role in the on-going farmer agitation in Greater Noida, saying anyone supports the cause of peasants is doing good for them.
Asked if he felt Congress and BSP were hand-in-glove as Gandhi was allowed to reach Bhatta Parsaul village, Advani said, “Whoever is supporting the cause of farmers is doing a good deed.”
BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Prakash Javadekar and others have been highly critical of Gandhi and the Congress. “Section 144 was lifted when two Congress General Secretaries Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh went there. Now they are sitting on a dharna there. I appeal to Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to do any nautanki (theatrics) in the biggest state of the country,” Rajnath Singh told reporters yesterday.
Javadekar, who is also party spokesperson, made direct attacks on Rahul Gandhi and had called his dharna a farce. “Gandhi's dharna is a farce. What is his view on the Jaitapur compensation issue? He also made promises in Tappal (Meerut) where farmers were agitating but failed to keep them. He opposed Posco but now government has approved it,” Javadekar said.
Advani, however, demanded that the Land Acquisition Bill should be amended at the earliest.
“The union Cabinet should finalise the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill as soon as possible and present it in Parliament,” he said.
“I feel the issue of land acquisition not only in Uttar Pradesh but in different parts of the country is a serious problem for the farmers. Land is their only source of income. Some legal system should be there so that they do not have to face these problems,” he said.
The BJP Parliamentary Party head said it would have been better if Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had “sat with the farmers and talked to them” on the issue. PTI
