Restoration of land to Ramdev a give-and-take deal, says AAP

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 24

The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Congress and the BJP of engaging in a “give-and-take deal” as far as the allotment of land to Ramdev at Sadhupul in Solan district is concerned.

“The U-turn by the Congress government led by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has not surprised us at all,” said Mohender Sofat, former minister and an AAP activist.

It’s the Cabinet decision that the land should be restored to Patanjali Yogpeeth, he said.

“The land was allotted to Ramdev by the previous BJP government on the ground that such a centre would be helpful in generating jobs,” Sofat said.

But the Virbhadra government created a great hue-and-cry and cancelled the lease terming it illegal. The “Congress even lodged an FIR against Acharya Balkrishan, deployed police force at the site for days to get the possession of land,” he added.

The drama went on for years and Virbhadra had a change of heart after four years attacking the BJP on the land lease, Sofat said. But now the Chief Minister had come out with the same plea that BJP leader PK Dhumal had made at that time that the centre would provide employment to the youth, he added.

Sofat claimed that the Congress and the BJP are fooling the people of the state as they wasted taxpayers’ money on the legal battle and deployment of police force. “Some people say the Governor is behind this as he is close to Ramdev,” Sofat charged.

“The BJP leadership, which is talking about the mafia raj, attacked the Congress saying it had taken a U-turn on Ramdev land lease,” Sofat said. “This is nothing but a case of match fixing between the BJP and the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party will raise the issue in the Assembly elections,” he warned.