Should move forward on Land acquisition bill, says PM Modi at all-party meeting

At an all-party meeting convened ahead of what looks like a stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on the crucial and much controversial land acquisition bill. “We should move forward on the land bill,” the Prime Minister told leaders of all political parties at the meeting. However, the Samajwadi Party has turned around and said that the party is not in agreement with the amendments brought in by the BJP. A solution is possible only if the government withdraws the amendments, SP’s Ramgopal Yadav said.
PM Modi said the Monsoon Session was short and hence its time is needed to be utilised for debating important issues for which the government was ready. “There are many outside forums where various issues are discussed extensively. The Monsoon Session is short, hence the time of Parliament should be used for debating issues which are relevant and important,” he said. PM Modi added that even though the onus to run Parliament is borne by the government, the responsibility must be shared by all. Today will also see a meeting of all parties convened by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as well as a meeting for all NDA parties, once again chaired by the Prime Minister. The Congress and other smaller regional parties have vowed to disrupt parliamentary proceedings if the government does not go ahead with sacking Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who are each embroiled in controversies. While Swaraj and Raje are battling the heat over the Lalit Modi furore, Chouhan has swatted off opposition’s calls for his resignation in the multi-crore Vyapam scam, a recruitment examination scandal in his state. On Sunday, Raje and Chouhan had met BJP president Amit Shah separately to discuss the party’s strategy of countering the opposition. After the meeting, the BJP made it clear that it was going to put up a strong defence of its leaders in Parliament. “The BJP will be aggressively countering the false allegations against its popular leaders. We will expose the Congress party. Party will be adopting an aggressive stance against the baseless and false campaign against its leaders,” Shrikant Sharma said.