Cong walks out over land allotment to Patanjali trust

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 10

The Congress today staged a walkout on the first day of winter session of Himachal Assembly that began here today over the issue of allotment of land to Baba Ramdev by the current government in Solan district.

While the Congress targeted the present government for allotting land at a throwaway price to Baba Ramdev Trust, the legislators of the ruling party accused the Congress of allowing Baba Ram Rahim to buy land in Palampur area of Kangra district. As the Congress legislators raised slogans of ‘Himachal on sale’, the BJP leaders dubbed Congressmen ‘Baba Ram Rahim ke Chele’.

As the question hour began today afternoon at 2 pm, CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri got up from his seat and requested Speaker Rajiv Bindal to allow him raise an important issue. The Speaker allowed him to speak. Mukesh alleged that for the last 15 days Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had been issuing statements to intimidate the Opposition. The statements are being issued to prevent the Opposition from raising issues in the assembly.

Mukesh then raised the issue of failure of the state government in providing school uniforms to the children in government schools in the state and allotment of land to the Patanjali Trust of Baba Ramdev.

Mukesh alleged that the interests of the state had been sold out and demanded a debate on various issues. The Speaker, however, rejected the demand and requested them to allow the question hour to proceed.

The Opposition members then got up from their seats and started raising slogans. There was pandemonium in the house as the Speaker started the proceedings of the question hour and 

Congress leaders started raising slogans. The Congress leaders moved to the well of the house . They walked out and did not return.

Congress submitted list of following charges against govt

• Backdoor appointments through outsourcing
• No uniforms for 8.50 lakh students in the current academic session 
• Use of special powers by Cabinet to slash the one-time lease amount from Rs 27 crore to meagre Rs 2.39 crore for 28 acres land given to Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust for setting up of a herbal garden at Kehlog village in Solan district
• The award of contact for purchase of 85 electric buses, the inquiry for which has already been marked by the Raj Bhawan 
• Horticulture project worth Rs 1,134-crores being in limbo due to interference of the minister.
• Restricting BRICS projects to constituencies of CM and the IPH minister
• No progress on any of the 69 national highways announced by the Union Minister for Surface Transport for the Himachal Pradesh
• Worsening financial situation. The government has taken loans to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore and the debt burden has crossed Rs 50,000 crore
• Taking of two more helicopters on lease
• Withdrawing cases of corruption against the BJP leaders
• Poor law and order situation in the state