Rahul was talking to farmers about impediments in the passing of the new land law in view of objections raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC), even though he did not mention either TMC or Mamata Banerjee.
"When we a propose draft law and ask our coalition partners if it was fine, they say it does not suit us in Bengal. This law does not look fine. You have to change it," Rahul said.
While hearing the grievances of farmers assembled in this village along the Yamuna Expressway, Rahul said, "We have a coalition government at the Centre in Delhi. There are a number of partners. We have to hold discussions with them, we are talking to our partners. We will bring a good law, we are trying our best to pass it in the next session of Lok Sabha."
The Congress leader said, the National Advisory Council (NAC) and the government were both discussing the law.
Counselling patience, he said, "It takes time to make a new law and the Centre is already working on it. If we make the law in five minutes, it will be wrong. We wish to enact to a new law which can last for at least next 20 to 30 years."
Rahul said, "We have to find a solution to land acquisition and we can find that through dialogue alone. Don't try to suppress people and their voices, you need to involve them, We think if you don't involve the poor, it amounts to atrocities on them."
Asked why the Centre did not stop the Mayawati government from "forcibly" taking over their land, the Congress leader said, "You have to understand one thing straight, I do not run the UP government. I cannot help you in anyway about it."
"When you talk about not getting power, I cannot give you that power. Ask your UP government about it. Talk to your government in Lucknow, not me."
He said, "If you wish to pose such a question to me, you should first help elect a Congress government here. Then pose such a question."
Rahul went on to say that the Congress party runs the Central government and we will do our best to give you a "good new land law".
Rahul, who has been targeting Mayawati, accused her government of not properly utilising central funds earmarked for various schemes.
"The State government's intention here does not seem to be good here. Even on the current land acquisition and the controversy over it, the intentions of the state government are under doubt. It seems the state wishes to help only one person- the builders, not the farmers or those connected with the farm land," he said.
He, however, said, "If the Congress government comes to power in UP, it will be your government. It will not be the Congress government but the government of the people of Uttar Pradesh."
Rahul said it was not enough to blame land acquisition laws made during the British rule since they were enforced throughout the country.
"Such circumstances that governments don't hesitate to fire bullets and lathicharge farmers with the intention of benefiting builders and industrialists do not arise in many states," he said while giving the example of Haryana.
"The Uttar Pradesh government is not giving even half the price of land when compared to Haryana," he said.
Later, in Mathura's Ava Kheda village, Rahul asserted that the central government had taken stern action against those found involved in corruption.
"If anyone in Congress party is found involved in corruption, we take strict action against him... Due to the steps taken by our government even a minister is in jail. We have even thrown people out in Maharashtra... We take stern action against anyone indulging in corruption," he replied to a question posed by a young boy.
"Go and read newspapers and see for yourself against whom we have initiated action," the Congress leader told him.
He dismissed as "malicious, motivated and defamatory" the charges levelled against him by an NGO in a PIL filed in the Supreme Court that the company was imposed the penalty of Rs 5 crore against the Rs 650 crore as a favour.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi a day after the petition was filed, Sibal questioned the basis for computing the penalty as Rs 650 crore whereas the USO Fund itself had recommended a penalty of up to Rs 50 crore only.
"I am deeply grieved by what is happening by the PIL filed by an NGO in the Supreme Court stating that Telecom Minister has abused his power to reduce penalty on Reliance Telecom to Rs 5 crore," an agitated minister said, adding that PILs should not be "used to settle personal score".
Giving details of the issue, he said Reliance Telecom services were switched off for "whatever reasons" in November 2010 and on December 21, a show cause notice was issued to the company threatening imposition of "lumpsum" amount of Rs 50 crore as penalty for the same.
"The notice for Rs 50 crore was to pressurise the Reliance Telecom.... They got worried," Sibal said, adding finally the services were restored on February 16, this year and the company paid a penalty of Rs 5.5 crore.
He maintained that the penalty was calculated on the basis of duration of disruption of services (7-45 days) as provided in the agreement between USO Fund and RCom.
Sibal also termed as "unfortunate" the allegations that he had over-ruled officials of his ministry, saying the government could not function this way that a minister cannot take a decision because he would be labelled as "dishonest and wanting to favour private parties".
Sibal suggested that the PILs were being misused as they were meant only for serving public interest and "not to settle personal score". He, however, did not elaborate even when asked whether he felt he was deliberately being targeted.
An application was filed in the Supreme Court by Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) alleging that Sibal reduced the penalty from Rs 650 crore to Rs five crore against Anil Ambani-headed RCom for violations in the UASL agreement.
The NGO alleged that a penalty of Rs 50 crore per circle should have been imposed for "violation of the terms and conditions of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) agreement and UASL agreement by voluntary, unilateral and unauthorized switching-off/closure of services to subscribers from USOF sites without any notice."
"The Rs 5 crore penalty on the ADAG firm was as per the agreement between the USOF and Reliance Telecom. The DoT was nothing to do with the penalty as the company had not violated the rules of license conditions," Sibal said.
He said when the file reached him on February 18, this year, RCom had already restored the services two days prior to that. He said he gave instructions to impose penalty as per the provisions of the agreement and did not himself decide the amount of Rs 5 crore as penalty.
He, however, was evasive when asked on what basis Rs 50 crore was decided as penalty.
Sibal rejected the contention that he had favoured RCom because it had been his client earlier. The noted lawyer said it was not RCom alone but he had represented several corporate houses like Tatas, both Ambani brothers and political leaders like Mayawati (BSP), Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Prakash Singh Badal (Akali Dal) and Chandrababu Naidu (TDP).
Slamming NGO's petition, he questioned why it was filed in 2G case as there was no link. "...decision taken pursuant to contractual provisions under the USO Fund have nothng to do with 2G," the Minister said.
Terming the PIL as "the worst case of forum shopping", he said it was defamatory as it "attributes dishonesty in decision making". He, however, did not say whether he will file a case of defamation.
"Why no substantive PIL is filed and an affidavit in the pending 2G proceedings is something that needs a response and hopefully an investigation," he said.
The CBI will probe all irregularities committed during former textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran's tenure as telecom minister from May 2004 to May 2007.
At least 10 people were killed and two injured after the boundary wall of a building crashed on hutments in Thane near Mumbai. Heavy rains hampered rescue operations
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev said in court he had video footage to substantiate his claim that the Delhi Police manhandled him during the crackdown at Ramlila Maidan on the intervening night of June 4 and 5.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh became the third Indian bowler after Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble and the 11th in the world to get 400 wickets in Test cricket.
The court restrained a seven-member committee from opening vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, which are estimated to contain wealth over Rs one lakh crore.
Space shuttle Atlantis, one of the world's first reusable spacecraft, made its final flight, carrying a crew of four and supplies to the International Space Station.
The paramilitary contingent will join 4,000 CRPF personnel already deployed in Andhra Pradesh to deal with the Telangana agitation
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