Land Bill Controversy: 'Maan ki Baat', Modi's desperate effort to convince farmers

Amidst the raging Land Bill controversy both inside and outside Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address farmers of India in his next 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, which will be aired in All India Radio on Sunday, March 22.

"I would like to hear from my farmer friends and I want them to write letters to me. The address is - AIR, Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001," Modi tweeted.

Political analysts believe that Modi's outreach to farmers through the pogramme is a desperate measure to communicate his side of story.

Modi had earlier asked its MP's to aggressively defend the Bill and not be affected by the oppositions' charges.

Even though Modi has addressed five 'Mann ki Baat' episodes before, this will be the most crucial one for the PM considering that the message which has gone out to the common public is that the bill is anti-farmer.

It has been a stormy Parliament session as the united opposition has vociferously taken on the Narendra Modi government on Land Acquisition Bill.

Led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a united opposition marched from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, March 17, to hand over a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee opposing amendments to the bill.

Contentious issues of land bill which Modi may speak on:

• Compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement provisions
• Jobs for farmers
• Return of unutilised land
• Land for private companies
• Offence by government officials
• Possession of acquired land
• Social impact, acquisition of irrigated multi-cropped land and other agricultural land