Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who launched his party's attack on the government over the land bill at a large farmers' rally in Delhi on Sunday, is likely to speak in Lok Sabha on Monday during a discussion on the crisis facing farmers after unseasonal rains.
It will be Rahul's first speech in the present House, which was constituted last year after the May general elections. The Congress vice-president has alleged that the government's land acquisition bill is anti-farmer and his party has vowed to stall its passage in Parliament.
The Congress has alleged that the government wants to make a 'back door entry' to pass the land bill and issued a whip on Monday asking its MPs to be present in Lok Sabha.
With the Congress sounding out the government about its intention on the issue of land bill with the mega farmers' rally, Modi will have a tough time getting the re-promulgated land ordinance converted into legislation.
On Sunday, Rahul had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bringing an ordinance on it to pay back "loans" of industrialists.
The Congress vice-president, who just returned from a two-month absence from public life, said the new land bill is not only against the interests of farmers but also the tribals.
His decision in February to go on a two-month sabbatical from politics sparked widespread criticism about his lacklustre leadership and speculation about his future.
But with no hope of any reconciliation between the government and the combined Opposition of Congress-Left-Trinamool on the land bill, the recent merger of SP, JD(U) and RJD may further complicate the passage of the contentious legislation.
Parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu accused the Congress of "politicising the land acquisition issue" even at the cost of being "unmindful of the consequences for development of the country."
The new legislation would make it easier to acquire land for crucial infrastructure projects as part of Modi's pledges to revive the economy after storming to power last May -- but rivals say the move will hurt millions of farmers.
The proposed bill exempts projects related to defence, rural housing and power, along with industrial corridors, from the requirement that 80% of the affected landowners must agree to a sale.
It also does away with the need for a "social impact assessment" to find out how many people would be affected by the loss of land.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says these rules are restrictive and deter the investment needed to fuel India's growth. The government has defended the changes as a catalyst for growth -- from building new cities and factories to more roads and industrial corridors.
But its attempts so far to push the Land Acquisition Bill through Parliament have been stonewalled by a united Opposition, which controls the Upper House.
The second half of the Budget session in Lok Sabha will run from April 20 to May 8 and have 13 working days, out of which the government will have barely three days to pass the ambitious GST bill and other legislative agenda.
Ten days are earmarked for the passage of the finance bill and the related demand for grants of different ministries.
Rajya Sabha, prorogued to re-promulgate the land ordinance, will meet on April 23 and work till May 11.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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