Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 27, 2015 :

The Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] and Congress on Wednesday were engaged in a spat over gaining support of other political parties in implementing reforms agenda including passing of the amended Land Acquisition Bill.

While the union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday urged political parties not to fall prey to the Congress’s tactics of obstructing parliament functioning, the Odisha Congress president, Prasad Harichandan described Naidu’s call as “political helplessness”.

Naidu told media persons here, “I can’t force you to support me or the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). But the non-Congress parties, including the BJD in Odisha, should understand their (Congress party) game plan and should not fall prey to the tactics of the Congress.”

Harichandan shot back saying, “Naidu’s call to other parties only exposes the political helplessness of BJP which has now realised that all parties are siding with Congress over some issue or the other.”

Naidu had urged the parties to play a constructive role by supporting the government’s efforts of developing India. Blasting Congress for obstructing the path of development by opposing crucial bills in the Rajya Sabha, Naidu reiterated that his government firmly believes in cooperative federalism.

Harichandan, however, dismissed Naidu’s claim saying that all the non-BJP parties have now understood that the NDA government was taking certain steps which were against farmers and poor. “Therefore, other parties are against the Centre’s anti-farmer and anti-poor policies”, he said.

The minister accused the Congress party of misleading people on the proposed land bill. He said the Congress has acquired about two lakh acres land for private purpose while the NDA government has not acquired any land in favour of private parties in the last one year.

The minister also appealed to the ruling Biju Janata Dal to support the land bill in parliament as the state government needs land for infrastructure development, including for mines and ports.

Naidu rubbished allegations that the BJP has struck a deal with the BJD by slowing down the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the state chit fund scam, and said the government has no intention to rein in the CBI.

He also refuted the allegations that Odisha would get less financial assistance following the recommendation of 14th Finance Commission.

“I can assure the people of Odisha that the state would not get less than what they were getting earlier. All states, including Odisha, will benefit from the recommendations of the Finance Commission,” Naidu added.

Harichandan claimed that various parties in eastern India and other parts of the country have now realised that the Modi government tried to amend the land act to benefit rich at the cost of farmers, he said the NDA government should now also refrain from making any changes in the act.

Harichandan questioned Naidu’s statement on Congress misleading people, “Is it an Act of misleading the people if the Congress demands retention of the consent clause in the Land Act? Should the people not be made aware about the NDA’s bid to allow the rich to acquire extra land.”

The OPCC chief was also critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Mathura rally where he cautioned the corrupt people to wait for the “Bure Din.”

“Modi was earlier speaking about Acchhe Din for the country men. Now the Prime Minister has changed his slogan to ‘Bura Din’,” Harichandan said.