Patna, Apr 14 (PTI): Under opposition attack over the land bill, BJP President Amit Shah today asserted that not an inch of land will go to corporate houses and those acquired will be used for development of villages and for providing better irrigation to farmers.
He also sought to corner Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the land owned by 12 sugar mills in the state, alleging that it has been handed over to his "friends" and "Ministers’ kin".
"Despite the disinformation campaign launched by the opposition on the land bill that this is being brought for corporates, I want to tell the BJP workers that not an inch of land will go to corporate houses and this land will be used for development of villages and for providing water to farmers’ fields," he said.
Virtually kickstarting the BJP poll campaign for Bihar elections later this year, the BJP chief, accompanied by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, asked the party workers to take this message to the farmers in every village to "dispel opposition propaganda" on the land bill.
Addressing party workers at the historic Gandhi maidan here today, that also coincided with the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, Shah said,"I want to ask Nitish Kumar where has the land of 12 sugar mills gone.
"He has committed the sin of remaining silent on this. Who has given this land to his friends and kin of Ministers? Rail and road projects have been held up, stalling development of Bihar," the BJP chief said.
Shah accused Kumar of "back-stabbing" by disregarding the mandate given by the people for the BJP-JD(U) alliance in the state.
He also took potshots at the grand alliance of Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad saying no grand alliance can initiate progress in the state as this can only be done by BJP under Narendra Modi’s leadership.
"No one knows who the leader of this coalition will be. Nitish Kumar or Rabri Devi. None can initiate Bihar’s development," he said, adding, "be it grand alliance or grand merger, it is the BJP which will form the next goverment in Bihar going by the response at today’s meeting".
Shah took a dig at Lalu, saying "zero plus zero remains a zero" to highlight that merger would not pay them any dividend.
Shah also called upon party workers to work towards ensuring that the "jungle Raj" does not return to Bihar and help bring the BJP to power.
"I call upon BJP workers to end jungle raj in Bihar and work towards taking water and power to villages, making good schools and roads in villages," he said.