Reacting to the CNN-IBN expose on Haryana land deals favouring the Rajiv Gandhi Trust, the Congress has said that no rules were bent and that land was only given on lease. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "The land was leased to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust for eyecare. The trust does not own the land."
Singhvi claimed, "Not a single rule has been bent, the Gram Panchayat owns the land."
Maenwhile, the Haryana government has decided to relook at the acquisition of over 850 acres of land for the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust after CNN-IBN reported how the trust was given land breaking rules and regulations.
In all, 65 petitions in Punjab and Haryana High Court have now claimed the 'Gandhis as trustees' tag swung the deal.
On Tuesday the Haryana government offered to reconsider the cases of the 65 petitioners that alleged discrimination.
Villagers have asked why should they plead to seek the release of their land.
"We don't want to keep coming to the court, but we are helpless," said Sukhraj, a villager from Ullawas.
Pushed to the wall, the Haryana government told the court that the land released to the Rajiv Gandhi Trust had been taken on lease from the village Panchayat and there is no violation. All officers who came to court maintained silence on who the trustees are.
"I don't have information as far as my official records are concerned," said Town & Country Principal Secretary SS Dhillon.
"I don't know," said additional advocate general (ADG) of Haryana Narinder Hooda.
The BJP took this chance to draw comparisons with Yeddyurappa in the mining scam.
"For one acre of land, they (Congress) are asking for the head of Yeddyurappa. But here is a case, wherein their family trust, in which all the eminent members of the family are trustees, huge chunk of land have been given and thereafter released for acquisition," said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The High Court has added a rider that in case the villagers don't get justice, they can come back to the High Court. But the petitioners for now continue to allege that there has been discrimination in the way the Haryana government has released land.
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