Land transfer to Baba Ramdev triggers political row in Himachal Pradesh

Opposition Congress has accused the ruling BJP of providing over 30 acres of land to yoga guru Ramdev at a "throwaway" price in Solan district and has questioned its motive in doing so.

The state government has given 38 acres of land to Ramdev to open a branch of his health centre 'Patanjali yogapeeth'.

The area has been provided on 99 year lease at Kalhog in Kandaghat tehsil of Solan district, about 55km from Shimla, at
a cost of Rs16 lakh.

State Congress president and MLA Kaul Singh Thakur in the state assembly early this week protested the transfer of prime government land to the yoga guru at concessional rate.

Thakur said Ramdev already had a health centre at Haridwar and added that "largesse" to the yoga guru would not help BJP as Ramdev has announced that he would launch his own political party which will ultimately harm the saffron party.

Health minister Bindal contested the charge and said the health centre which would be developed in the area, the first outside Haridwar, would make it a popular destination from health point of view.

Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal also defended the decision and said the government dealt with Ramdev only for sale of herbs and promotion of yoga in the state.