New Delhi, Jun 8 (UNI) The Indian National Congress on Saturday accused Patanjali Yogpeeth of grabbing hundreds of acres of forest land in Haryana with the help of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Bharatiya Janata Party government.
Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesman Pawan Khera alleged that Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and associate companies of Patanjali Yogpeeth, associate companies of
Acharya Balkrishna, on the basis of the power of attorney in the Aravali mountain range in the village of Kot village in Faridabad purchased 400 acres of land.
Mr Khera said that this land is forest and can not be used for farming or any kind of commercial work. It can not be sold too.
He added that in this regard, a notification was issued in 2011, in which the Panchayats were told that if anyone has any part of the forest land, then it should be returned to the government. On this, a case was filed in a district court and the hearing was still in progress.
'Despite this, the land was bought from the local people on the basis of the power of attorney,' the Congress spokesman said.
Mr Khera said the person at the centre of the scam had connections with Ramdev and Balkrishna and was a director in their companies.
'99 percent shares of the company for which he has purchased this land is owned by Acharya Balkrishna. Land has been purchased in the name of this person's sister and brother-in-law,' the Congress spokesman affirmed.
Mr Khera alleged that Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna had conspired in this alleged land scam with the connivance of the Haryana government and demanded 'stringent punishment for the culprits.'
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