Anna Hazare protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s land acquisition ordinance Monday Feb 23,2015

Anna Hazare returned to Jantar Mantar on Monday Feb 23,2015, this time to protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s land acquisition ordinance. 

Anna Hazare addresses his supporters on the first day of his two-day agitation against the ordinance on the Land Acquisition Bill at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi

And the septuagenarian activist threatened to turn the protest into a mass movement, akin to the anti-corruption agitation of 2011, to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi into submission. 

The return of Hazare to Delhi also marked a reunion with his former aide and now Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who will join his mentor at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday Feb 24,2015

Anna Hazare sat on a dharna on Monday Feb 23,2015, accompanied by at least 200 farmers and activists, to voice their opinion against the ordinance on land acquisition, which they said is against farmers and designed to benefit only corporations. 

Anna warned that he will continue the dharna even on Tuesday if the ordinance is not recalled. 

He also threatened to launch a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ and conduct padyatras across villages to “awaken farmers against the atrocities being committed against them”. 

On December 29, 2014, the BJP Government had recommended promulgation of an ordinance, making significant changes in the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, brought in by the previous UPA government. 

The changes included removal of a clause that needed the consent of 70 per cent farmers whose land was being acquired for projects related to industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence. 

The Government had explained its stand by saying the move was necessary to unblock several crucial projects that had been held up for years due to lack of “consent”. 

Hazare, however, said that the BJP had promised ‘achhe din’ to the people but good days have come only for big companies. 

“Britishers used to do it (grab land) but today’s Government is worse than the British regime. Even Britishers did not mete out so much injustice to farmers.