JOIN USDKS wanted to grab land, says Iskcon chief
Addressing reporters here on Thursday, Madhu Pandit Dasa said the Iskcon managed to bag 28 acres of land at Vasantha Vallabharaya Nagar on Kanakapura Road a few years ago. The Iskcon bagged the land legally and paid money for it. A few of
D K Shivakumar’s supporters had also participated in the auctioning. However, they failed to bag the land. A disappointed Shivakumar started making false, fabricated, baseless allegations tarnishing the image of the Iskcon ever since the auctioning took place, he added.
“The suit is filed against defamation caused by his acts and utterances outside the assembly of the house and not for any of his utterances on the floor of the assembly as we have high regards for the principles of privilege he enjoys as legislator as well as the member of the House Committee,” Madhu Pandit Dasa clarified.
Iskcon has nothing against the Congress Party. It was forced to file a defamation case against him due to his vengeful and repeated attacks against the Iskcon as lakhs of devotees of the Iskcon were hurt by his allegations.
He said there are only 300 full time and voluntary devotees all over the country involved in managing serving of the food under Akshaya Patra scheme. They work round the clock. They are not paid except food and accommodation facilities. Even Rahul Gandhi and the US President Barack Obama have hailed the service rendered under the Akshaya Patra scheme, he added.
Shivakumar rubbishes charges
KPCC Working President D K Shivakumar on Thursday rubbished the charges against him made by Iskcon even as he sought the arrest of Iskcon President Madhu Pandit Das and Vice-President Chanchalapathi Das for their alleged involvement in grabbing of government land.
At a press conference Shivakumar charged that the Das duo were indulging in real estate business and also unlawfully collecting donations for the mid-day meal “Akshaya Patra” scheme. He also demanded that all property belonging to the two be confiscated with immediate effect. Shivakumar claimed he had documents furnished by the revenue department which revealed that the 61.28 acre of government land in Mahadevapura had been encroached by Madhu and Chanchalapathi Das.
He said Iskcon’s Akshaya Patra Foundation had no authority to collect funds from the public. He said it was the Speaker who had appointed him as a member on the joint House Committee to go into the affairs of the Akshaya Patra Foundation. He said he had no interest in any prime land located on Kanakapura Road as alleged by Iskcon.