Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Nov 22: Livid at the 81 cases slammed against his Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust with respect to violation of land laws and evasion of stamp duty, in Uttarkhand, Baba Ramdev challenged the government to take action if even one of the charges proved to be true. He lashed out at Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for talking to the press, saying that the facts he presented were baseless and not verified before being aired to the nation.

He was incensed because the Congress had chosen to make public charges that were yet to be proven in court or even before the court notices reached the accused - in this case Baba Ramdev. He further added that by these actions the Congress had only added to their growing list of crimes by laying false allegations on a sadhu.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that several properties held by the Patanjali Yogpeeth trust and its sister concern in Haridwar had been found to be transactions that had no real properties attached to them. The case of encroachment was charged on approximately 7.8 acres of land belonging to the gram sabha and Government of India. 

The Trust has allegedly purchased 387.5 acres of land in villages in Aurangabad and Shivdaspur for establishing the Patanjali University whereas the varsity was actually built on only 20 acres.

The remaining land is speculated at being used for other purposes such as agriculture or possible future commercial purposes. A further 84.86 acres of land has been known to purchased around Mustafabad for Patanjali food and Herbal Park without the necessary permission or authorisation. It was also believed that while the land had been purchased for the herbal park it was used for manufacturing, storing and sales of a plethora of Patanjali products.

A spokesperson for the Trust said that the allegations placed were an attempt by the Congress to deter Baba Ramdev in his quest to against the corruption as well as the return of the black money that had been stored in foreign banks by many politicians.