Those alleging corruption in Ayodhya land deal should approach court if they have evidence: VHP

NEW DELHI: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Saturday said those alleging corruption in a land deal by the Ram temple trust in Ayodhya should approach the court if they have any evidence to prove their claim.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh and former SP MLA from Ayodhya Pawan Pandey had recently alleged that a piece of land worth Rs 2 crore was purchased by the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya at an inflated price of Rs 18.5 crore.

Dismissing the allegations as "baseless", VHP's joint general secretary Surendra Jain Saturday said the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust conducted the land deal with "utmost honesty and transparency".

"There is no scam in it. If there is anything wrong, why don't they go to court? They should move the court if they have any evidence," he told reporters here, lashing out at the Aam Aadmi Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and other opposition parties which have been demanding a probe into the deal.

Singh and Pandey had alleged money laundering in the deal, and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's general secretary Champat Rai strongly dismissed the allegations, claiming the land was purchased at a price much lower than the prevailing market rate.

AAP Rajya Sabha member Singh told the media last week that he was preparing to take the matter to court.

"We are still waiting for that. Why haven't they approached the court so far? They should do it. Truth will come out before everybody," the VHP general secretary said.

A political row has erupted on the alleged financial irregularity in the purchase of land for Ram temple premises, with several opposition parties including Congress demanding a probe into it.