Ayodhya Land Boom
By Insaf
Hey Ram! The temple in Ayodhya brews another controversy. An investigation by a national daily has revealed that since Supreme Court verdict allowing Ram temple in November 2019 and up to March 2024 there has been ‘up to 30% rise in number of land transactions in at least 25 villages in Ayodhya and adjoining districts Gonda and Basti that fall within a radius of 15 km of the temple.’ What is of concern is that many of these deals are by ‘family members or those closely linked to politicians across parties and government officials.’ Among 22 cases listed are: Arunachal Pradesh’s recently sworn-in Deputy CM’s two sons who bought 3.99 hectares for Rs 3.72 crore between September 2022 and September 2023 in Maheshpur (Gonda), 8 km from the temple and on 25 April 2023 sold 0.768 hectares for Rs 98 lakh; BJP’s ex-MP Brij Bhushan Singh, whose son Karan Bhushan, now an MP, bought 0.97 hectares in Maheshpur (Gonda), 8 km from the temple, in January 2023 for Rs 1.15 crore and sold 635.72 sq m for Rs 60.96 lakh in July 2023.
Then there is UP Police STF chief Additional DGP Amitabh Yash’s (IPS) mother who bought 9.955 hectares of “agriculture” land in Maheshpur and Durgaganj (Gonda) and Mau Yaduvansh Pur (Ayodhya), 8-13 km from the temple, between February 2022 and February 2024 for Rs 4.04 crore and sold 0.505 hectares in Maheshpur on 16 August 16 Rs 20.40 lakh. The daily said, ‘after the January inauguration of Ram temple, a massive public-private development package has turned land into prime real estate and blurred many a dividing line.’ Expectedly, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has grabbed the opportunity and hit out at the BJP. He has demanded a thorough investigation and review of the land deals in the name of so-called development in Ayodhya, saying it’s a land scam of billions of rupees under the BJP rule. In a X post he said: As the land deals in Ayodhya are being exposed, the truth is coming out that under BJP rule, people from outside Ayodhya have bought and sold land on a large scale to make profits…The BJP government not increasing the circle rate for the last seven years is an economic conspiracy against local people. Due to this, land scams worth billions of rupees have taken place…” The big question is whether the government will oblige or leave the matter to Ram bharose?
Haryana Barricading
The BJP Haryana government has got a hard rap from Supreme Court, months before the state goes for Assembly elections. On Friday last, it directed that the barricading at the Shumbhu border be removed, where farmers have been camping since February for demands including a legal guarantee to MSP and threatened to move towards Delhi. It also asked: ‘how it can block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic,’ and so do so. This after government counsel said it was in process of filing an appeal against Punjab and Haryana high court’s Wednesday order asking it to open the highway within seven days. While BJP government must be fuming, its counterpart in Punjab, AAP heaves a sigh of relief, as traders and industrialists complained of losing out on business and investments as it was difficult to transport goods through the border. And while farmers too are happy as HC’s direction puts a stamp on their claim that they haven’t blocked the borders, but Haryana police, they will now take a call on what next. Same shall be the case with Nayab Singh Saini given the challenge of retaining the Chief Ministership in ensuing polls.
Maha Cross-Voting Game
Political drama again plays out in Maharashtra. With biennial Legislative Council elections on Friday, the fear of cross-voting comes to the fore. With 12 candidates in the fray for 11 seats, the ruling Mahayuti has shifted its herd of MLAs to five-star hotels. In the Opposition camp, Sena (UBT) asked its MLAs to gather in one place and Congress called for a meeting and hopes for victory with help from MLAs in ruling bloc which may plan to back its camp or that of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). Indeed, these polls timing is critical, months before Assembly polls and a month after Mahayuti faced loss in Lok Sabha polls with Opposition camp winning 31 of 48 seats. The candidates require 23 votes of first preference to get elected. Mahayuti alliance claims confidence of winning nine seats, while MVA is expected to win two, but it’s a big question for the 11th seat as both sides fall short of requisite numbers. Importantly, the results today would help either side to tighten the noose or get a whiff of what lies ahead for the big battle.
Defections Row
The grave issue of defections is sadly being reduced to a tu-tu-mein-mein (blame game) between ruling Congress and erstwhile BRS government in Telangana. It has been triggered by the latter announcing it shall approach President, Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman ‘to put an end to defections’, other than its petition pending in high court. Congress, said BRS working president K T Rama Rao, ‘hasn’t fulfilled even one guarantee but has taken away 7 of our MLAs, 6 MLCs and one Rajya Sabha MP.’ Claiming Congress ‘poaching’ goes against anti-defection law, it questioned the grand old party’s moral ground accusing others, including BJP, of indulging in similar practices! Scoffing at BRS’ right on commenting on defections, Congress asked why pink party failed to follow the principles it’s now preaching? ‘When BRS had 88 MLAs and its ally AIMIM 7, why did you take 12 of 19 MLAs from Congress,’ it asked and added its talking about the Constitution, but it’s these parties which have violated it. Congress justified the fence crossing saying they are voluntarily joining as they are impressed by its ‘Praja Palana.’ The bickering unfortunately reveals there’s no intent to check the malice. Worse, it’s not just a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, but the political leadership fails to realise that two wrongs don’t make a right!
Bihar’s Deadline?
The NDA government, of which JD(U) is part and parcel, has now been given a timeframe to fulfil Bihar’s demand. The party, says Manish Kumar Verma, its new National General Secretary and former advisor to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will strongly push for the fulfilment of its demand that the Centre ‘grant special status’ or a ‘special package’ to the state, before Assembly polls October-November 2025, i.e. a little over a year. The reason is obvious—JD(U) bagging 12 of 16 Lok Sabha seats, aiding Modi get his third term as Prime Minister and forming the government. And, while a special package is a climbdown, Verma, who formally joined the JD(U) on Tuesday last and was given the top organisational post 48 hours later, made the party’s intention clear to ally BJP. Plus, as a trusted aide he may say the polls should be held under Nitish’s leadership, he and party stalwarts know that the supremo is not in the best of health. Last month, the party appointed its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha as Working President. Interestingly, Verma who is also said to being groomed as party future leader, as he’s a Kurmi like Nitish and hails from his native district Nalanda, is making the right noises. Ally BJP will need to heed. How much and how soon is the big question. — INFA