20-acre land allotted to minority trust near IMA triggers pre-poll row

Dehradun: A 20-acre agricultural land parcel near the Indian Military Academy (IMA), originally allotted at concessional rates during the 2002-2007 Congress govt to establish a minority educational institution, has triggered a political controversy ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly polls scheduled next year.Located in Hariyawala village in the Dhaulas area near the academy, the land was allotted to the Shekihul Hind Education Charitable Trust for setting up an educational institution. When the project failed to materialise, the Uttarakhand high court permitted the trust to sell the land, subject to strict conditions that its land use would not be changed and that it would continue to be used solely for agricultural purposes.However, a recent probe ordered by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has flagged alleged large-scale violations of the HC's directions. The inquiry, conducted by Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal, revealed that the trust sold the land to 15 individuals, who subsequently subdivided it into plots and sold them to around 80 buyers, officials said."The land was allotted in the name of a minority educational institution, but instead of being used for agriculture, illegal colony development was found at the site," an official said. The district administration described the actions as a "violation of court orders" and flagged them as a "potential security concern" due to the land's proximity to a defence establishment.Reacting to the findings, the Dhami said that the case reflected attempts during the previous Congress regime to pave the way for a Muslim university, accusing the opposition of "minority appeasement". "Such attempts amounted to a conspiracy for demographic change in Uttarakhand and would not be allowed to succeed. The matter is under intensive investigation to determine how the land was sold and which regulations were violated," the CM added.Former CM and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat dismissed the allegations, questioning why the BJP, which has been in power multiple times since 2004, did not act earlier if irregularities had occurred. "If something was wrong in Dhaulas, why did the BJP remain silent from 2004 to 2026? Even the plotting that took place would have required permission from the BJP govt," he said.Rawat also claimed that most buyers of the subdivided plots were Hindus, including teachers, ex-servicemen and residents from hill districts, adding that "the issue appeared to be less about religious identity and more about those who carried out and benefited from the land transactions".Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Dharampur, Vinod Chamoli, said, "The govt should cancel the land allotment and take possession of the property."