CPI holds nationwide protest against Land Bill

Accusing the Narendra Modi government of “working overtime” to help corporates, the CPI on Thursday staged <g data-gr-id="22">nation-wide</g> protests, demanding <g data-gr-id="16">immediate</g> withdrawal of the “anti-farmer” Land Acquisition Bill.

Demonstrations were held in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Raipur, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra.

CPI Rajya Sabha member D Raja, who led the protest at Chennai Central Railway Station, was detained after he tried to block rail services along with other party workers. The party claimed that 1,500 of its members were held for allegedly breaking barricades during the protest in Kolkata.

In Punjab, state unit secretary Hardev Arshi was detained along with other party workers as part of a ‘jail <g data-gr-id="18">bharo</g> <g data-gr-id="19">andolan</g>’, said CPI. “The Bill which has been brought by the Modi government to amend the 2013 Land Acquisition Act is anti-farmer. The NDA government under Modi is working overtime for corporates. We demand it (Bill) to be withdrawn immediately,” CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said at a rally at Parliament Street in Delhi.