BJP's double standard on land acquisition, says Cong

Bhopal, Feb 23 (UNI) The opposition Congress today charged in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly that the BJP had double-standards in acquisition of land for industries saying the BJP government had acquired fertile land for the Auto Testing Track at Pithampur, while the party opposed land acquisition at Singur in West Bengal.

''The BJP's words and deeds were just opposite'', leader of the opposition Jamuna Devi said while winding up the debate on the motion of thanks on Governor Balram Jakhar's address to the house on the opening day of the budget assession on February 19.

''BJP President Rajnath Singh had made a strong protest against acquisition of farmland for the Tata project in West Bengal, while the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh was acquiring fertile land from poor farmers for the auto testing track at Pithampur'', she said.

In Madhya Pradesh, she said, huge chunk of land earlier acquired for industries was lying barren. She sought to know whether the BJP government had any policy to compensate the agriculture labourers, who would be deprived of their means of livelihood after the land acquisition to benefit a few industrialists.

Ms Jamuna Devi urged Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to probe into allotment of a Dalit farmer's land at Misrod near the state capital to enable a BJP leader to start a dental college.

''The Dalit farmer was evicted from the land despite a court stay'', she said.

Referring to the BJP government claim of being No. 1 across the country, the Congress leader said ''the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had set a milestone in taking the state to the top slot in corruption, rape, atrocities on weaker sections, murder and riots''.

She also sought a probe into scandals in road construction and printing of books for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Alleging that RSS was running the government, she said government officials, who were not toeing the BJP line, were being assaulted by the Bajrang Dal and RSS workers. Wanted criminals were addressing media conferences, but were not available to the police, she pointed out.

Ms Jamuna Devi charged that minorities were being terrorised in the state and communal harmony was being destroyed in a calculated manner. The government claim of efforts being made to create a fearless society was hollow, she said.

Seeking audit of employment guarantee schemes in 18 districts, she demanded that the scheme should be implemented in all districts.

Speaker Ishwardas Rohani also admonished the ministers for interrupting during the debate saying his standing instructions not to interrupt others were applicable to both members and ministers.

UNI