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

NEW DELHI: In remarks that could cause a controversy, Congress today 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 $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.