Made mistake by alloting land to Ramdev for food park: Congress

"We perhaps made a mistake (by alloting the land) but we did not give him the status that he enjoys," party spokesman Tom Vadakkan said.

New Delhi: In remarks that could cause a controversy, Congress on Friday said that it "perhaps made a mistake" by alloting land to Ramdev for his food park while it was in power.

"We perhaps made a mistake (by alloting the land) but we did not give him the status that he enjoys. When we make a mistake, we admit the mistake. We do not cover-up," party spokesman Tom Vadakkan said at a briefing today.

His remark came in the wake of a question over the yoga guru's close associate Acharya Balkrishna entering the annual Forbes list of India's 100 Richest People at the 48th position with a net worth of USD 2.5 billion, owing to his 97 per cent holding in Patanjali Ayurved.

"You ask Forbes on which basis...You also ask the government about the manufacturing licence...About noodles", he said.

To a question that Ramdev was given land during the Congress-led UPA regime when Subodh Kant Sahay was the Minister concerned, he said "we perhaps made a mistake."

Ramdev is a known detractor of Congress and is considered close to the Modi government.