Mangaluru : The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene and Aam Aadmi Party  jointly  demonstrated on Friday against the proposed ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act.

Ravikiran Ponacha, executive president of the sangha’s district unit, later said the amendment was being made to help industrialists acquire land at the cost of farmers. One clause says land acquisition will go on even if local residents oppose it, he said.

Mr. Ponacha said the Central Government should drop the ordinance that will deny farmers their land. Also, farmers should not be neglected at the cost of development and industrialisation.

Sunny D’Souza, a progressive farmer and sangha member, said the amendments brought in for the land acquisition Act were similar to the laws framed when Narendra Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister; these had led to acquisition of large tracts of land for industries.

“If they do not withdraw the ordinance, people have to show `Gujarat vapasi’ to Mr. Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah,” he said.

AAP district unit secretary Rohan M. Shiri and other activists took part in the demonstration.