In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Brijesh Kalappa, Spokesperson, Congress; Sheshadri Chari, Member, Natl Executive & Convenor, Foreign Affairs Cell, BJP; Lord Meghnad Desai, Economist; and Devinder Sharma, Food Policy Analyst -- discuss the issue of battle between the Govt and the Opposition over Land Ordinance, whether it is really a debate between the rich and the poor or whether some of the reservations misguided.

The BJP government's decision to do away with the need of taking consent of land owners and carrying out social economic assessment for acquiring land under certain categories has invited strong objections from opposition parties and even NDA allies like Shiv Sena and LJP and Apna Dal. Government said it was open to considering suggestions in farmers interest but accused Congress and other parties of attempting to project industry and infrastructure in bad light that would harm the country. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley led the government charge targeting mainly Congress over its campaign on the new bill, saying the need to create industry and infrastructure has become the "biggest offence" now. He also said the entire discourse on the bill that will replace the ordinance was "misguided" and must come to an end. "The issue is whether we want this country to grow or not? Or we want all investments to be diverted to other countries," he said intervening in a discussion on the motion of thanks to President's address in the Rajya Sabha. Jaitley termed UPA government's land law as "a defective piece of legislation" and said though Congress-led government had put defence and security as urgent matters, it had "forgotten to put such projects in the exempted list." Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said there is no question of going back on any of the ordinances including on land acquisition but it will be open to suggestions when the bills are taken up after the budget and accused Congress of adopt