The prime minister addressed a gathering at Hussainiwala.
Various farmer organisations also submitted petitions to Jaitley.
Taking the battle on the land bill issue to social media, Congress on Saturday launched a "Zameen Wapsi" website on the eve of its farmers' rally which is expected to see the first major attack on the government by Rahul Gandhi after his return from leave of absence.
Under attack over the land bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said it will launch a mass contact programme to dispel "myths and propaganda" spread by the opposition and engage farmers in dialogue even as it insisted that it remains open to changes suggested by rival parties and farmers.
This is another blow to Modi's ambitious economic reform agenda that has been stalled by a logjam in parliament
The government has announced a crop insurance policy.
Facing opposition tirade over the land bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday asked its MPs to go all-out to counter the "disinformation propaganda" by the Congress party and others on all issues even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh's strong retort on farmers' issue.
Thirty-five Union ministers on Friday huddled in a strategy meeting for an image make-over for the government on a day when Congress began its foot march against the land bill from the symbolical Bhatta Parsaul village.
The principle objective of the Bill is fair compensation, says Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in an exclusive interview.
Faced with stiff opposition on the land bill, the government on Thursday reached out to leaders of opposition parties, including Sonia Gandhi, and activist Anna Hazare inviting them to an open debate on the issue while asserting that the bill was "very much in farmers' interest".
Amit Shah said Congress cannot mislead people as they know who took away farmers' land and benefited business houses by giving away spectrum and coal mines in the past
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was taken ill on Monday, was back in the Lok Sabha on Thursday to attend the debate on Land Acquisition Bill but did not participate in voting the legislation which was being pushed by the National Advisory Council headed by her.
While going back to the old bill is only a face saver, there is little in the bill that will excite industry or the markets, says Shishir Asthana.
New head of the Confederation of Indian Industry speaks.
Government on Tuesday indicated its willingness to incorporate more changes into the land bill in order to address the concerns raised by opposition parties even as it has already agreed to make at least six amendments in its proposal.
Sonia Gandhi alleged it was a mockery of the consensus building exercise by a "myopic" Modi government which was "bending backwards" to favour industrialists.0
The Congress party on Tuesday vowed to oppose the present format of the land bill both inside the Parliament and outside.
The bill is unlikely to have a smooth passage in the committee with the Congress party making it clear that "there is no compromise on the land bill."
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare to march against the land bill on March 25 from Sevagram.
The BJP-led government is keen to to get the land bill passed by March.
SAD and Paksha have written to the panel headed by S S Ahluwalia that "not an inch" of land should be acquired without the consent of farmers.
Sonia Gandhi has expressed her agreement with the concerns of Anna Hazare on the land bill and vowed to oppose it.
The Budget session of Parliament concluded on Wednesday with passage of record official business in recent years but the government failed to ensure passage of the controversial Land Acquisition Bill as also key reform measure of GST amid stiff resistance from opposition.
The BJP is treading cautiously on the crucial land bill and will take it up only after the passage of the Mines and Coal bills in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Jairam Ramesh, architect of the UPA's 2011 land acquisition bill, reacts to Amit Shah's interview to Rediff.com in which he defended the NDA government's land bill ordinance.
The Congress seems to have brokered peace with the main Opposition parties on the crucial food security and land acquisition Bills and ensured that they are not dependent on the whims and fancies of smaller parties. Renu mittal reports
"We are not averse to more amendments to the Land Bill provided they are good," he said.
Lok Sabha is set to witness a confrontation over Land Acquisition Bill on Tuesday when it is taken up for voting with opposition bent on opposing it even as the government again offered to make changes in the legislation in the "larger interest" of the farming community.
Hundreds of Congress workers on Monday clashed with the police during a protest against the BJP government's Land Acquisition Bill, saying it was anti-farmer.
'Re-issuing ordinances is against convention. Courts have said that re-promulgation of an ordinance is against the Constitution.'
Ahead of the Parliament session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached out to parties appealing them not to come in the way of prosperity of farmers, saying the deadlock over the land acquisition bill is seriously impacting rural development.
Hitting out at the bill, he termed it as an attempt by the government to acquire land, whose price has been rising, for industrialist 'friends'and crony capitalists.
Anna Hazare, currently campaigning against the Land Acquisition Bill asked for an "open debate" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said land is required for rural roads, irrigation, electrification.
The contentious Land bill passed the Lok Sabha test after the government carried out nine amendments.
11 BJP members in the Joint Committee of Parliament on land bill moved amendments seeking to bring back the social impact assessment and consent clause.
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took his fight against the contentious land acquisition bill to Punjab as he travelled by train today to visit the National Democratic Alliance-ruled state and see the condition of farmers with his own eyes.
Thus, the right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (amendment) bill, 2015 as passed by the Lok Sabha still contains major lacuna's in regard to farmer's rights. It is best advised and hoped that the government will send the bill to the parliamentary standing committee for more changes and consultation.
The Land Acquisition Bill, passed by Parliament last month, will either make projects unviable or expensive for large infrastructure or real estate projects.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances