EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 20: After Bholanath's arrest, an aide of Asaram Bapu, skeletons from the cupboards in this much hyped Ashram of self styled Godman are more surprising as in an Right to Information (RTI) plea the authorities concerned revealed that Congress top brass have been involved in allotment of prime located land in Jammu for Asaram Bapu's Ashram. The self styled Godman Asaram Bapu, who is facing rape charges, was allotted 283 Kanals of prime land worth crores for a paltry amount to establish his ashram at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu simply on the recommendations of two senior Congress leaders including former Union Minister, Moti Lal Vora and Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot. The startling revelation come to fore in a reply furnished by Jammu Development Authority (JDA) to an RTI activist Balvinder Singh, who filed an application seeking record and documents involved in making allotment of the said land to Asaram's Trust. The two senior Congress leaders wrote recommendation letters to the then Chief Minister of J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad for allotting land on cheaper rates to Asaram Bapu's Trust for developing an Ashram here. The Godman's Trust eventually managed to get the piece of land at Rs 50 thousand per kanal which by any means is a meager amount as the original price of the said property at the time of allotment was much higher. The documents in possession of RTI activist Balvinder Singh reveal that former Union Minister Vora, had written a letter, dated 30-11-2005, to former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Azad wherein the former had urged the latter to allot land in favour of Asaram's Trust. Vora, was then a Member of Parliament (MP) of Rajya Sabha.
While the present day Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, wrote a letter, dated 2-12-2005, to Azad, which was almost similar in contents. Gehlot, who was then General Secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in his letter wrote, "sympathetically consider allotment of land in favour of Asaram's Trust on low-priced rates." The words of recommendation from two of the known figures of Congress itself show that how strong was Asaram's clout in political circles.
It is pertinent to mention here that the 72-year-old controversial Godman is presently in custody after being arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in Rajasthan. |
