UP CM Yogi sets up panel to probe into Ayodhya land purchase scam

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into high-profile Ayodhya land purchase scam. Meanwhile, Congress party has demanded a probe monitored by the Supreme Court as many top ranking officials and relatives of political leaders are allegedly involved in the case.

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into high-profile Ayodhya land purchase scam. Cabinet minister and spokesperson of the state government Sidharth Nath Singh said that a probe committee has been constituted under the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Our government works in a fair and impartial manner and has 'zero tolerance' for 'wrong-doings'. We never promote 'corruption'. Manoj Singh, additional chief secretary (revenue) will be heading the probe panel. On the submission of the probe committee report, action will be taken against those found guilty," said Sidharth Singh.

The Ayodhya land purchase scam came in public domain when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh 'spilled the beans' with the help of several documents pointing 'a needle of suspicion' towards many top ranking officials and political leaders' relatives involvement in the Ayodhya 'land racket'. Sanjay Singh had also alleged that BJP leaders - in the name of construction of Lord Ram's temple - were involved in a 'loot'.

The names of the top ranking officials whose relatives' names had cropped up in the scam include M.P. Agrawal, who was the commissioner of Ayodhya in 2019, Deepak Kumar, then DIG of Ayodhya, Purushottam Dasgupta, the chief revenue officer of Ayodhya, Ved Prakash Gupta (MLA) and Umadhar Dwivedi, former IAS officer, among others.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded a probe monitored by Supreme Court, while addressing a Press conference on Thursday. She alleged several land parcels, whose rates were low in Ayodhya, were sold out to Temple Trust on a higher rate. Besides, small land parcels belonging to Dalits, which were impossible to acquire, had been forcibly taken, according to her.

Priyanka Gandhi claimed that land near the Ram temple, valued at Rs.2 crore, was sold twice - first time for Rs 8 crore and the second time, for Rs 18.5 crore - to the Ram Mandir Trust set up by the Centre in 2020.

Echoing Priyanka Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that probe into the Ayodhya land purchase scam should commence under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. The BSP chief was talking to newsmen after holding a meeting with party functionaries in Lucknow.