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Bishnoi fires fresh salvo

Special Correspondent

To launch movement against Reliance project in Haryana

Kuldeep Bishnoi

CHANDIGARH: Kuldeep Bishnoi,Congress MP from Bhiwani and younger son of former Haryana Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal, said here on Sunday that he would launch an "Aam Aadmi Adhikar Andolan'' from Tuesday in continuation of his "struggle for the rights of the people of Haryana.''

Addressing a press conference here, Mr.Bishnoi, who had been served with a show-cause notice by the party High Command last month for opposing the joint venture between Reliance Industries and the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation relating to the setting up of a Special Economic Zone, said that he would launch the "Andolan'' from Village Khandsa in Gurgaon.

He said that he was launching the "struggle'' in pursuance of his fight against the anti-people joint venture and to demand enhancement in compensation at market value to the people whose lands were acquired by the HSIDC at the Government rate since the project had been transferred to Reliance and was not being developed by the State Government as originally envisaged. He further said that he had received an "invitation'' from the affected people to take up their cause. "I will travel all over Haryana, wherever the rights of the common man are being ignored or violated,''he added.

Mr.Bishnoi made it clear that he was not opposed to development or the Reliance Industries as such. His objection was only to the manner in which the Hooda Government had handed over the acquired land to Reliance for a song. He had posed five questions relating to the deal to Mr.Hooda and even invited him for a debate but was still awaiting his reply. He further wanted to know why was the land, acquired for developing a Special Economic Zone by the HSIDC, transferred to the Reliance Industries-led joint venture in which the Haryana Government would be a marginal player.

Whether it was the Government's job to acquire land for corporate houses at Government rates and why did the Government not ask Reliance to acquire land on its own for the SEZ.

He further said that the Government should have followed the example of the West Bengal Government which got a big industrial house to pay 140 per cent of the market rate as compensation to get possession of land acquired by the State for public good.

Mr.Bishnoi maintained that he was not doing anything which was against the Congress. Rather, he was acting as a bridge between the party and the people. He also rubbished charges that he was playing the INLD's game in opposing the Reliance deal. He also refused to answer questions relating to his elder brother Chander Mohan, who is Deputy Chief Minister in the Hooda cabinet, saying that it was not a family matter but a political one and he, his brother and father had distinct identities and roles. He also refused to comment on his exclusion from the list of executive members of the HPCC saying that he was not angling for any post.

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