CPI to stage protest against Land Bill on May 14

The CPI will stage a nation-wide protest against the Land Acquisition Bill on May 14 through a "jail bharo" agitation, party general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said here on Sunday.

Kolkata: The CPI will stage a nation-wide protest against the Land Acquisition Bill on May 14 through a "jail bharo" agitation, party general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said here on Sunday.

Reddy said after the party's state council meeting here that the CPI wanted the Land Acquisition Ordinance to be depromulgated in the interest of farmers and masses.

"We are not against industrialisation, but the way the Centre is promoting it by bringing the Land Amendment Bill can't be accepted. We will hold protest-demonstrations across the country on May 14 through jail bharo movement," he said.

Describing the Land Acquisition Ordinance as "atrocious and against people", Reddy said his party had also taken up a series of programmes protesting against the anti-people, pro-rich and pro-corporate policies of the Modi government.

Reddy also slammed the BJP government for giving tax concession to the rich and the corporate sector.

"The Modi wave is on the wane because of its pro-rich and pro-corporate anti-people policies. Instead of rectifying its policies, the Modi government is adamant on snatching land from the poor farmers to satisfy the industrialists," Reddy said.

"We will fight against all these anti-people policies along with other Left parties," he said.

He also said that the Centre should make use of barren lands and land under government's possession to allocate it for industries instead of forcefully relinquishing fertile land of farmers.

He charged BJP leaders in Parliament with not allowing the Opposition to function and suppressing their voices. "The Centre should abide by the Constitution and respect the clause 'Right to Speech'," he said.

Alleging that the Sangh Parivar issued a stricture against eating beef, Reddy described it as "an attack on people's food habit. This will not only affect the food habit of the Muslims but food habits of several other communities too."

To a question, if he would invite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to their agitation, Reddy said, "Independently our party has given a call for movement against Land Acquisition Bill and Land Acquisition Ordinance."

The party's senior leader, Gurudas Dasgupta, however, accused Banerjee of maintaining a "double standard".

"While her party TMC is protesting against the Land Bill in Parliament, her government is using batons against protestors against the same Bill. See how honestly she is fighting against the Land Bill and Land Ordinance. Is it not double standard?" Dasgupta questioned.

Dasgupta, a trade union leader, said that the central trade unions were contemplating a move to decide a date for calling a nationwide general strike to protest against the Modi government's anti-people policies including Land Acquisition Bill, economic reforms and attempt to amend Labour Act.

"A meeting in this regard will take place on May 26 to finalise the date of general strike," he said.

To a question, Reddy said the CPI would also observe a 'law violation' programme on May 14 in Kolkata protesting against the alleged state-sponsored terrorism and unprecedented violence by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government during the recent civic polls in the state.

On Trinamool Congress's (TMC) landslide victory in the just concluded civic polls in the state, Reddy alleged the Mamata Banerjee-led party indulged in "mass rigging" and violence to win votes.

Condemning the alleged violence, Reddy said "It was not an election under democratic system. TMC indulged in violence to cover up its losing popularity and indulged in rigging to win this election," he said while demanding immediate restoration of democratic process.

Reddy said the strength of Left is intact and they are gearing up for Assembly elections in West Bengal next year.

Asked if the party during party congress in Puducherry had discused the reunification of CPI with the CPI-M, Reddy said, "This was not in our agenda, but we have discussed the 'reunification' of communist movement".

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