Budget session: Bizarre for NDA govt to expect Congress support on land & insurance bills, says Ahmed Patel

NEW DELHI: Days ahead of the budget session, Congress raised red flags on the NDA regime’s attempt to pass bills to replace the Land Acquisition and Insurance Bills.

The political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, has made it clear that the government should not expect his party to back bills that have ‘diluted UPA government’s policies and programmes for the needy’.

Congress has decided to hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar, next Wednesday, with Rahul Gandhi expected to participate in it to protest against the Modi regime’s decision to dilute provisions of UPA’s land acquisition Act through an ordinance. Congress’ dharna will follow Anna Hazare’s scheduled protest on Monday and Tuesday on the same issue.

Party sources said, though there is no official word yet, Rahul Gandhi is expected to participate in the dharna Congress plans to hold at Jantar Mantar, the same venue from where Anna Hazare first launched his campaign against UPA-2. ET had reported earlier that Congress would hold a dharna during budget session in Delhi under Gandhi’s leadership over the landacquisition issues. The Congress leaders are also in touch with leaders of parties such Janata Parivar, TMC, Left and others who too are opposed to the NDA’s amended land Acquisition Ordinance.

Indicating Congress mood on the bills, Ahmed Patel tweeted on Friday, “It will be bizarre for the government to be expecting support from Congress after it has diluted UPA’s policies and programmes for the needy.”