Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Indian Express, again: Has alleged Ayodhya land being bought by powerful in UP

On December 24, it published a report which suggested politicians, officers, their relatives bought land close to Ram Mandir site in Ayodhya, suggesting a conflict of interest. OpIndia has now filed a ground report which debunks the claim of Indian Express. 

Birauli is some 12km from the Ram Mandir site. A relative of SDM Ayush Chaudhari, allegedly, has bought some land here. A local Sanjay Kumar Varma rebutted the claim thus: “The land deal waas done in accordance with laws and regulations. Nobody forced us. But the blot of this defamation (by Indian Express) is such that anybody would hesitate to buy a piece of land here.”

Another local Sandeep Varma is quoted thus: “I have gone through the Indian Express news. It’s nothing more than a rumour. I too possess some land. I was never pressurised by any leader or bureaucrat…Ram Mandir is more than 10km from here. The report (Indian Express) claimed its next to the site. In rainy season, it is all flooded in here. No new project or hotel is seen around. Despite that the area is being defamed for reasons unknown.”

Almost same is the reaction of locals in Itora Chauraha (Hanumat Nagar) which is nowhere close to the temple. One Ravi Tiwari said: “I live in this locality…Ram Mandir is no less than 12km away. And yet it is mongered that it is within five kilometres. This is a rural area. Everyone here would want to find a better buyer for his possession…Behind such reports, there lies a conspiracy to impede the development of this area.”

The Indian Express report names the land deals in Barhata Manjha as the most controversial one. Most of the locals here are related to Maharashi Ramayana Vidyapeeth Trust (MRVT). It is alleged that relatives of Commissioner MP Agrawal, DIG Deepak Agrawal, mayor and BJP MLAs who have purchased land here. 

A local lady has said: “About 4-5 days ago, a few journalists had visited here. They were abusing the district magistrate. There was a shorty journalist among them who was saying we are here to fxxk the DM’s aunt.”

One Indraraj Nishad who lives inn Khalik Purwa of Barhata Manjha said: “I too had bought land from MRVT…the fake news has defamed our areas. Now nobody is coming here to buy the land. I was about to sell one small plot of mine, but this news has ensured that no buyer is interested any more.”

Baburam Gupta of Vasudev Ghat near Ram Mandir is into land deal business. He said: “I have read the complete news report. This is sheer lie. The lands at a distance of 15-20km are reported to be within 5 km. On the pretext of bureaucrats, it is a plan to defame the BJP government.”

Over telephone Sant Raju Das of Hanumangadhi said it is nothing but a conspiracy to ensure no outsider invests his money in Ayodhya. “Conspirers are no other than the ones who had once claimed Bhagwan Ram to be just a myth. This is a conspiracy by perverts and Left-wingers to defame the holy city.” Besides, he said, what’s wrong if properties are sold and bought legally?

A mahant, Ajay Das of Raghunandan Kunj Mandir in Ayodhya said: “This is nothing but an illusion spread by the media. Relatives of the officers have purchased the land due to their religious sentiments about the holy city. They are being needlessly blamed.”

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