Baba Ramdev's visit to Horsley Hills triggers strong opposition
Local leaders from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Congress Party, and public groups staged protests on Monday and demanded that the State government withdraw its 'reported plans to hand over Horsely Hills' to Baba Ramdev and his team in the name of a wellness centre.
The yoga guru had visited the Horsley Hills on June 27, along with a team from Patanjali Yogpeeth, reportedly to explore the feasibility of establishing a global yoga and wellness centre. According to a senior official who accompanied the team, Ramdev inspected a piece of land close to a government guest house and expressed his plans to commission yoga and naturopathy initiatives there. He was also reportedly impressed with the serene landscape, clean air, and cool weather, terming them 'ideal for spiritual healing'.
The yoga guru's visit to the State close on the heels of the recently-concluded month-long Yogandhra-2025 campaign, which culminated in Visakhapatnam on June 21 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also raised doubts about the TDP-led government's plans.
A team led by the CPI Annamayya district unit visited the hill station to take stock of the situation on Monday (June 30). Speaking to the media, CPI State Secretariat Member Gujjala Eeswaraiah said that the allocation of public and forest land to a private organisation would amount to clear violation of the laws of environment protection.
'This could lead to deforestation, threaten wildlife habitats, and lead to the evacuation of the local tribal communities from atop the hills and foothills,' he said, adding that the issue would be elaborately discussed in the ensuing Annamayya district CPI Mahasabhalu scheduled in Madanapalle on August 11 and 12.
In order to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Horsley Hills and its vibrancy as a popular tourism destination, the CPI also launched 'One Lakh Signatures Campaign' to stall the move in favour of Baba Ramdev.
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