The Congress will put up a strong resistance to the Ordinance for amending the Land Acquisition Act in the upcoming budget session of the Parliament and also the State legislature here.

As a prelude to its opposition, party’s Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao, launched a day-long hunger strike at the dharna chowk, Indira Park, on Saturday.

A large number of Congress workers joined the dharna camp and mounted a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government for its ‘anti-farmer’ policies.

TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah criticised the Modi government for its U-turn on the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 brought by UPA-II. The BJP leaders were part of the Standing Committee and only after they extended support, the Bill was introduced in Parliament.

He asked the TRS government to prove its farmer-friendly stand by passing a resolution in the State Legislature against the Ordinance.

In united AP, the Congress government acquired 7.5 lakh acres of land for industrial and irrigation purpose with cent percent consent of the people and so far, not a single case has been filed. K. Jana Reddy, leader of Opposition in Assembly, said it was strange that after supporting the Land Acquisition Act in Parliament, the BJP was now trying to amend it.

The Act passed by the UPA government was a landmark legislation as it was farmer-friendly.

Mr. Hanumantha Rao said the Ordinance brought by the Modi government was ‘anti-poor’ as no prior consent of the land owners was required to acquire land.

For public purpose, the government can take any land. “Does acquiring land from the poor and giving it to industrialists serve public purpose?” he asked.

D. Srinivas, deputy leader in Council, said the Delhi verdict was clear proof of the wrong polices being pursued by the Modi government.

The spectacular win of AAP showed the people’s loss of confidence in the BJP just seven months after it had come to power.