Lucknow, Aug. 1: Rahul Gandhi today alleged that the Narendra Modi government was flouting basic norms to acquire farmland in Uttar Pradesh, including in the Congress vice-president's parliamentary constituency Amethi, and vowed to intensify the farmers' movement he started.

"We had begun work on several national highways in Uttar Pradesh, including six in Amethi, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and adjoining districts. But I think the Modi government is not following the proper procedure in acquiring land for this purpose. I was here to discuss the issue with NHAI officials," Rahul told reporters after meeting Rajiv Agrawal, the chief general manager of the National Highways Authority of India, at its regional office in Lucknow.

He said that while the Congress-led UPA government had ensured complete transparency in protecting the rights of the farmers, the Modi dispensation was victimising them to benefit some private entities.

"The security that we had provided to the farmers has been snatched by the Modi government. I had started a movement for farmers from Batta Parsaul. Now, we will intensify our movement," Rahul declared.

The Congress leader had launched the Kisan Sandesh Yatra in Bhatta Parsaul, Greater Noida, in 2011 against "arbitrary land acquisition" by the then Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh for a special economic zone.

Dwijendra Tripathi, the state Congress spokesperson, told The Telegraph that Rahul was referring to the Land Acquisition and Resettlement Bill, 2015, introduced by the Modi government.

"The UPA had brought in the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which made it mandatory to secure the consent of the majority of farmers before land acquisition. The Act also provided for employment for one member from each affected family. It had ensured fair and equal compensation," Tripathi said.

He reminded that the consent of 70 per cent of farmers was mandatory under the Act for land acquisition for a public-private partnership project. In case of acquisition for a private company, the permission of 80 per cent of the displaced people was necessary.

Tripathi said the amendment bill introduced by the BJP government in 2015 had created five special categories - defence, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors and infrastructure projects undertaken by the government or private entities or together - for which the consent of farmers was no longer required.

"The NDA government said the permission of 70 to 80 per cent of the farmers would not be required before acquiring land for these five categories," Tripathi said.

The Congress spokesperson said Rahul, along with a dozen farmers from Amethi, met NHAI official Agrawal and spoke to him in detail about the problems faced by the peasantry because of recent land acquisition by the Centre.

"Rahul and the farmers were in Agrawal's chamber for about an hour. The farmers told the NHAI official that they were not informed before their land was acquired. They also complained that their houses and shops were razed to widen National Highway 56. The farmers said the compensation amounts for the same area varied because of lack of clarity on circle rates," Tripathi said.

Agrawal told reporters he would visit Amethi on Thursday. "We will study the technical aspects of the problem and try to sort it out soon. We will also prepare a report on the basis of the complaints and send it to him (Rahul)," he said.

Daya Shankar, a farmer who was in Lucknow with over 400 affected people from Amethi, alleged autocratic behaviour by the NHAI.

"The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation leased out land to 50 farmers in Amethi a few years ago. But the NHAI is taking over those plots to widen NH56 between Amethi and Varanasi without giving any intimation to the lessees. The private land of several other farmers have been acquired without informing them about the amount of compensation. The shops and houses of several more residents have been demolished without giving them any notice," Shankar said.

Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari pointed fingers at the previous governments at the Centre and in the state.

"It is good that Rahulji is coming to us to resolve the issues of Amethi. The work on the national highway (in Uttar Pradesh) was stopped during UPA rule. We resumed it. There were problems over land acquisition because of the previous government (the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi dispensation in the state)," Gadkari told reporters in Delhi.

"We can have a meeting in Delhi if Rahul wants. Our government is positive towards the issues raised by other parties," he added.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and hundreds of farmers had organised a dharna beside a road in village Baskhari in Amedkarnagar for 22 hours on Sunday. Babbar had alleged that the Centre was forcibly acquiring land from farmers for the highway-widening project.

Today, Babbar offered free legal assistance to all Uttar Pradesh farmers who would move court against the recent land acquisition.