Chennai: Describing the NDA Government's decision to re-promulgate the Land ordinance as a "mockery of democracy", BJP's ally PMK on Friday asked it to "stop its adamancy," and leave it to the decision of Joint Parliamentary Committee, which is set to go into the matter.
Taking exception to the statement of Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh yesterday that governmemt would re-promulgate the ordinance for a second time, PMK founder S Ramadoss in a statement said the Centre's decision "against the welfare of the farmers is highly condemnable."
Referring to the stiff opposition in the Parliament to the controversial land acquisition Bill and it being referred to a Joint Parliament Committee, he said the Centre was "morally bound" to pass the bill with amendments if any suggested by the committee.
"Instead of taking steps towards this, the government seems to be rushing to pass an ordinance for the third time by the end of this month. Ordinances should be promulgated in rare emergency situations when Parliament cannot be convened immediately," he said.
PMK, which contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as an ally of NDA and managed to win one seat, has been critical of various decisions of the Modi Government.
Ramadoss said the government must have 'abandoned' its move to pass the the bill if there was no sufficient support, in an act of "respect for democracy".
"Instead the government is trying to pass the bill through the back door by ordinance for the third time. It is a mockery of democracy and an insult on parliamentary system of polity itself. The President should not give room for this," he said.
Insisting that the proposed amendments will cause "serious harm" to farmers, Ramadoss asked the Narendra Modi-led Central dispensation to "stop its adamancy" in passing the bill and instead leave it to the joint Parliamentary Committee to decide on the matter.
Singh had said the ordinance was first issued to include 13 legislations which were out of the purview of the present 2013 Land Acquisition Act and to ensure its continuation it would be repromulgated.
