Land Acquisition: PM Modi promises to make changes in bill; disapproves J&K ally Mufti Sayeed's quotes

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his disapproval of comments by coalition partner and J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed giving credit to Pakistan, separatists and militants for allowing the state elections to be held successfully.
"We can never support such a statement," Modi told the Rajya Sabha, adding the alliance was based on a common minimum programme and that there would be zero tolerance toward terrorism.

The PM reiterated that he was ready to make changes to the land acquisition amendment if it was shown to be anti-farmer as he sought to convince lawmakers that his government’s policies were aimed at the uplift of the poor and not at benefiting the corporate sector or the rich. During his reply on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, Modi insisted that it would be wrong to say that the land acquisition amendment would reduce the level of compensation to farmers.

"I promise you we will correct anything that’s anti-farmer," the PM said, repeating what he had told the Lok Sabha last week.

"We need land for a wide variety of programmes. Please don’t spread the falsehood that compensation will be reduced… States find it difficult to work with the law. The law will remain (but) we will remove its flaws. If gaps remain, we will fix those as well."

The BJP-led NDA needs the support of rival parties in the Raj Sabha to get legislation passed as it lacks a majority there. Modi also assured lawmakers that the government had no intention of reducing food security coverage to 40% of the population from 67%, as had been recommended by a committee on the restructuring of the Food Corporation of India.

He launched an attack on Congress for saying his government was merely capitalising on programmes that UPA had put in place. Modi said key UPA initiatives such as the rural jobs programme, Aadhaar, RTI, RTE had their precursors in schemes introduced by Vajpayee governments.