10 May,2011 08:29 AM IST | | MiD DAY Correspondent
UP government tries to stop opposition leaders from scoring brownie points; Rajnath Singh among those arrested
Up government is facing flak from all directions on the farmers' agitation.u00a0 On Monday Mayawati confronted a united opposition that targeted her for the violence that has erupted in towns and villages along the Yamuna Expressway that's being constructed from Greater Noida to Agra.
Rerouting: (Left) BJP leader Rajnath Singh and (right) Janata Dal
(United) party president Sharad Yadav being escorted after their
arrest while they were on their way to Bhatta Parsaul village, in
Greater Noida on Monday. PICs/IMTIYAZ KHAN
Political leaders from different parties tried to head Greater Noida to commiserate with farmers.u00a0 BJP's Rajnath Singh was arrested while he was on his way and so was Shivpal Yadav, brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.u00a0 The opposition says that Mayawati's land acquisition policy is tilted against farmers.
Sharing grief?
BJP observed a 'Black Day' in Uttar Pradesh on Monday in protest against a police crackdown on farmers in Bhatta Parsaul village. So far, four farmers' have died during the agitation. "If I was Mayawati, I would have resigned by now," said Rajnath Singh as he was arrested.u00a0 He appealed to the farmers to fight for their cause in a "non-violent and democratic way."u00a0
Singh condemned the fierce clashes that broke out between security personnel and agitating farmers on Saturday which led to the death of two policemen and an equal number of farmers. He said once the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill is passed by Parliament, farmers will get the right to sell their land directly to private developers.
The 165-kilometre long Yamuna Expressway was originally meant to be completed by October. Even Congress came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for the violence in Greater Noida and adjoining areas over the land acquisition issue, saying Chief Minister Mayawati's "greed" has taken over all her sensible decisions.
"The greed of Mayawati has overtaken her sensible decisions. The whole government is up for grabs for those who have the money to spend and who have the capacity to fill the personal coffers of the Chief Minister," alleged the party's General Secretary, Digvijay Singh.
Spokesperson Manish Tewari dismissed the suggestion that the delay by the Central government in passing the Land Acquisition Act has contributed to aggravating the plight of the protesting farmers in UP. Tewari also attacked the Mayawati government for using force against villagers. He denied that the problem would not have occurred if the Land Acquisition Act had been passed in time.
"The underlying catalyst that impels actions like these is the belief that you can override local sentiment with state power," he said. Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samjwadi Party (People's Socialist Party) is in power in India's most populous state, has dismissed the protests as a political game by her opponents Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). The Party has pointed out that the leader of the farmers -- who traditionally vote for her opponents -- is himself close to the Samajwadi Party and RLD.
'Not our fault'
The Mayawati government has deflected criticism by the BJP and others. "This is a conspiracy by the opposition parties. They are misleading the villagers, instigating them to act against the government," said Shashank Shekhar Singh, the Cabinet Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.
The company that's been contracted to build the highway - Jaypee -says that it acquired land for the project two years ago and that all compensation for farmers was settled peacefully.u00a0 Jaypee says that the farmers are protesting over the land acquired by a government body - the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority.
Farmers are saying the government acquired land from them for the highway project at below-market rates. They say the same land is now being resold at huge mark-ups for commercial projects like malls.
Swaraj tweets
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj Monday expressed concern over the farmers' agitation in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a probe by the National Human Rights Commission into incidents of 'repression' by the state government. "The visuals of farmers agitation in Western UP are shocking. This should not happen in a democratic country," Swaraj posted on micro blogging site Twitter. "Men have left the villages. There is repression on women and children. How can an elected government allow this?" she tweeted, adding that "National Human Rights Commission should immediately act and send a team to these villages."
Rewards
Uttar Pradesh government has blamed farmer leader Manvir Singh Teotia for the violence in Bhatta Parsaul, Tappal and Mathura. The state government has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to anyone who provides information on Teotia whereabouts.He hails from Bulandshahar and has the support of some political parties including the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Although he does not own any land in Greater Noida yet he has been claiming that he is also a victim. The police also announced a reward of Rs 15,000 on other criminals involved in the ruckus.
Uttar Pradesh government has blamed farmer leader Manvir Singh Teotia for the violence in Bhatta Parsaul, Tappal and Mathura. The state government has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to anyone who provides information on Teotia whereabouts.
He hails from Bulandshahar and has the support of some political parties including the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. Although he does not own any land in Greater Noida yet he has been claiming that he is also a victim. The police also announced a reward of Rs 15,000 on other criminals involved in the ruckus.
