that there was a consensus on the bill and details would be given after the proposed legislation is approved by the Union Cabinet. He, however, said bill gives government the powers to acquire some land after the major chunk of the land is acquired by the party concerned from the farmers.
Responding to a question on law and order in Uttar Pradesh Mr. Chidambaram said it is not a happy situation. He said in a number of villages in Greater Noida in the vicinity of the national capital, farmers are protesting on the issue of acquisition of land and compensation and some lives have been lost, which he described as distressing. He termed the demand of the land owners as just and expressed hope that the Uttar Pradesh government will take appropriate steps to address this demand.
Chidambarm said the law and order in Uttar Pradesh is not satisfactory. He was responding to queries from the media persons on the situation in the wake of land acquisition agitation in a number villages in Greater Noida. He described the situation as distressing as farmers are protesting on the acquisition of land and compensation. Some lives have been lost in the protests. He criticised the way Chief Minister Mayawati is handling the protests and expressed hope that the Uttar Pradesh government will take appropriate measures to address their demands. Mr. Chidambaram also disapproved of the police lathi charge on Congress activists in Lucknow.
In a reply to a question Mr. Salman Khurshid said as a Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi has every right to express his concern for farmers in Bhatta Parsoal villages and his arrest was not justified.
He said there is no need to interfere with it and now it is more than evident that the people of Uttar Pradesh are extremely unhappy over the manner in which the matter is being dealt with. Mr. Khurshid said UP Chief Minister Mayawati is jittery and losing sleep over the tremendous support and respect Rahul Gandhi got both in and outside party.
