Land bill changes: RSS-affiliated SJM thanks PM Narenda Modi, Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch, which was opposing certain provisions of the new land law, has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah for accepting its concerns on the new legislation.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch had been vociferous in its demand for withdrawal of clauses pertaining to consent of farmers and social impact assessment in the land bill introduced by the NDA government.

"SJM thanks you for accepting our concerns in land bill," Manch co-convener Ashwani Mahajan tweeted to the Prime Minister, Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The Manch, besides other RSS affiliates like Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, had opposed the bill, and demanded restoration of the consent clause and social impact assessment, while deposing before the Joint Committee of Parliament looking into the land bill.

SJM had been particularly opposed to the scrapping of social impact assessment and food security measures, which were part of the land acquisition act passed during the UPA government.

"This should have been avoided. I hope good sense will prevail and the government will amend it. It has to go to Parliament for passage," Mahajan had earlier said.