Seers demand action against land mafia in Ayodhya

A list purportedly prepared by the Ayodhya Development Authority carrying names of 40 illegal plotting sites and the names of their developers recently went viral on social media. It included names of a BJP MLA, a former BJP MLA and mayor

LUCKNOW Controversy related to illegal plotting and colonies in Ayodhya is not going to die down soon as seers have demanded that names of land mafia who have managed to evade action so far be made public.

After the construction of Ram temple began in Ayodhya, land mafia have become active. Illegal plotting has become common in Manjha Barhata, Tihura, Meerapur Dwaba and Manjha Jamthara among other areas, said seers. (Pic for representation)

A list purportedly prepared by the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) carrying names of 40 illegal plotting sites and the names of their developers recently went viral on social media. It included names of a BJP MLA, a former BJP MLA and a mayor.

Subsequently, seers demanded a probe to ascertain the veracity of the list and action against those named in it, if it is genuine. They also said that the names of prominent land mafia of Ayodhya are missing from the list.

“All officials of ADA are aware of land mafia active in the temple town. Names of these people are missing from the list…why is it so,” asked Raju Das, priest of Hanuman Garhi temple.

“A new controversy related to land crops up in Ayodhya at regular intervals. This is because original the land mafia have managed to evade action,” he added.

After construction of Ram temple began in Ayodhya, land mafia have become active. Illegal plotting has become common in Manjha Barhata, Tihura, Meerapur Dwaba and Manjha Jamthara among other areas, said seers.

Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, successor to chairman of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, has demanded action against the land mafia.

“Everyone is aware of the original land mafia in Ayodhya. Why have officials (ADA officials) not disclosed their names? Who is trying to save them,” he asked.

Sapta Sagar colony in old Ayodhya town is registered as a pond in the revenue records. However, the mafia sold the land after plotting.

Now, notices will be issued to people living there to vacate the two-acre land so that its original status could be restored. According to Raj Kumar Pandey, tehsildar (Sadar), notices will be served to people to vacate the land.

Recently, BJP MP from Ayodhya, Lallu Singh, had written to chief minister Yogi Adityanath complaining about illegal plotting in Ayodhya.

BJP MLA MEETS CM

Ved Prakash Gupta, BJP MLA from Ayodhya (Sadar), who is in the thick of controversy, met chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday. He requested for a high-level probe into the ADA’s list of illegal plotting sites that had his name. According to sources, Gupta also requested the CM to probe the role of ADA officials in the leak of such a list.