UP: Congress alleges BJP encroaching upon govt land to build party office

Scores of Congress activists staged a dharna on Sunday, alleging that the BJP was trying to encroach upon government land to build a party office. The BJP has denied the charges.

"While the Yogi Adityanath government has formed anti- Romeo and anti-encroachment squads, local BJP activists have not only encroached upon land of the Vrindavan-based   Inspection Bungalow but has also started construction of a party office," said former leader of Uttar Pradesh Congress Legislature Party Pradeep Mathur, who led the dharna.

He said the encroachment was going on at a time when the RSS was holding its three-day coordination meeting in Vrindavan.

The Congress said the construction work had been stopped last month after the party submitted a memorandum to the Municipal Board and the District Magistrate. But it resumed recently, the party alleged.

The Samajwadi Party too staged a dharna separately against the alleged illegal construction and submitted a memorandum to the Municipal Board.

"There is nothing illegal," the BJP's district unit president Tej Veer Singh said, adding that the plot was rented out to the party 25 years ago.

The party has been paying rent to the Municipal Board since then, he added.