Facing resistance on land bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed readiness to make changes in the proposed legislation as he reached out to opposition for support, saying they should shed politics and not make it a prestige issue.
"We should not have ego that there can be nothing better than what we did. When you passed the Land Act (in 2013), we stood shoulder to shoulder with you. We knew that you want to take political mileage out of it. Still we stood by you," he told Congress in the Lok Sabha.
Modi, who was replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said his government wanted to make changes in the Land Act passed during the UPA tenure because all the Chief Ministers had said it was against farmers' interest and hampered development and infrastructure creation.
"...When our government was formed, CMs of all parties said in one voice: Please think about farmers, they want irrigation and infrastructure. You made such a law which is against farmers' interest.
"Are we so arrogant that we will ignore the voice of CMs in a federal structure? Can we ignore farmers interest? Is it not our responsibility to correct the mistake, if any? Whatever you have done, we are not rejecting it. Do not weigh this in the balance of politics," he said.
Seeking the support of opposition in the passage of the bill, which he claimed was in farmers' interests, he said, "If you feel there are still any shortcomings, I am ready for any changes in it....Don't make it an issue of your prestige.
He said there should be no ego and all parties should work together to correct the mistakes in the previous act.
His expression of readiness to make changes in the proposed new Land Acquisition bill comes against the backdrop of opposition by some allies as well as opposition parties. The new bill is aimed at amending the law passed over a year back.
