Chandigarh, June 9: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh has written to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal urging him to revoke the orders of leasing 28 acres of land at village Sadhupul to yoga guru Ramdev.
The land was donated by his family to the government in 1956 for Indira Holiday Home for Children. The Himachal Pradesh government has given the land to Ramdev for opening a branch of Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust there on a 99-year lease on a token amount of Re 1.
The Trust is not a charitable organisation but a profit making company running paid yoga training classes and manufacturing drugs on commercial scale for sale in open market at substantially high prices, Singh said.
He said handing over the land to Ramdev defeats the ultimate idea behind the donation as it was exclusively meant for children who would spend their summer vacations there.
The PCC chief said the land belonged to his family and consisted of a palace called Anand Bhawan and had been donated by his father Late Maharaja Yadvinder Singh to the Punjab government in 1956 for Indira Holiday Home for Children.
Singh in his letter said, “The specific purpose of donating this land and house was to name this as Indira Holiday Home to be used by children during vacations.” Since then thousands of children from all over the state have been spending their summer vacation there.
“This has been going on since 1956 until the day the property was handed over to Ramdev for a token lease amount of Re 1 per year for 99 years,” he said.
“I am sure you are aware that Ramdev does not fit in this category and by this lease he has denied the use of this property to children defeating the ultimate idea behind the donation,” he said. PTI
