Farmers agitation and police action against them in Uttar Pradesh today rocked both houses of parliament. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha which witnessed Pandemonium over the issue were adjourned three times each and finally for the day. The oppossition parties were pressing for an Amendment Bill to ensure adequate compensation to farmers whoese land is acquired for governmnet projects.The first adjournmnet in the Lok Sabha was till 12 noon after oppossition members raised the issue and many of them trooped into the well of the house shouting slogans against the firing on the farmers in Uttar Pradesh .The farmers were demanding enhanced compensation for their land acquired for Yamuna Expressway linking Noida with Agra. Same situation prevalied as the house reassembled leading to its adjournmnent first till 2pm and later for the day.Same situation prevailed in the Rajya Sabha .The issue first figured on the begining of question hour and was later taken up in the house which led to its repeated adjournments and finally for the day. Land acquisition has become a political issue for quite some time now and it is high time that a holistic policy is put in place to deal with this problem on a long term basis.Speaking to newsmen outside Parliament, the senior BJP leader Mr Rajnath Singh said that he had given a notice for the suspension of the question hour in Lok Sabha for raising the issue. He supported the demand of the farmers of Aligarh and Mathura to get enhanced compensation at par with their counterparts in Greater Noida. Stating that judicial inquiry into yesterday's firing incident will take a long time to complete, Mr Singh demanded that action should be taken against those who are prima facie involved.The CPIM leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury also favoured the need for bringing an amendment in the Land Acquisition Act saying that the existing law is not in tune with the present situation.Mr Manish Tiwari of the Congress said the UPA government is sensitive to the interests of the farmers on the issue of land acquisition. He criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for ordering firing on the farmers. His party colleague, Mr. Jagadambika Pal held the Mayawati government responsible for what happened yesterday.BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra said that their government in Uttar Pradesh has already ordered a judicial enquiry and has also set up a Committee to negotiate the compensation package with the agitating farmers.Meanwhile, In Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of agitating farmers today continued their indefinite sit-in at violence-hit Aligarh's Jigarpur village to press for higher compensation for land acquired for a township along Taj Expressway.Officials said no untoward incident has been reported as a heavy continent of security personnel has been deployed in nearly a dozen villages along the Expressway connecting Noida to Agra. Two persons and a PAC jawan were killed and nine injured in clashes between protesters and police in Aligarh on Saturday.Senior Superintendent of Police Satindervir Singh said the roadblocks have been removed. Officials said the district administration is making efforts to end the standoff involving the farmers who today held a mahapanchayat at Jigarpur village.Opposition leaders, including former BJP president Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh assembly and SP leader Shiv Pal Singh Yadav and RLD leader Ajit Singh, addressed the mahapanchayat, where they extended support to the agitatingfarmers.U.P Congress President, Rita Bahuguna Joshi visited Aligarh jail and met the farmers.AIR Correspondent reports, after Saturday’s violent tussle in Aligarh between farmers and police the Mayawati government has been receiving sharp criticism from all quarters.Though situation is control but the anger of agitated farmers are still visiblethere .In the epicenter of this movement, the Tappal area of Aligarh,the the farmers organised a mahapanchayat today . the Panchayat was also addressed by Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh and senior BJP leader Rajnath singh. They all supported the ongoing farmers agitation in one voice .The State Congress President Rita Bahuguna Joshi also visited Aligarh jail today and met farmers leader Rambabu Katharia .Today Samajwadi party also held state wide demonstration in district collect rate against police atrocities, and the Congress has also announced the same programme going to be held in the tomorrow. However, UP chief minister Mayawati said that role of opposition is Unfortunate.Meanwhile government has deployed 18 companies of PAC in Aligarh and Mathura.
News On AIR | August 16, 2010 9:11 PM
Parliament adjourned over police action against Aligarh farmers; Situation under control