NFIW to stage protest in Coimbatore demanding inquiry on Isha Foundation

The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) will organise a protest in Coimbatore on November 23 demanding a detailed inquiry into the allegations against Isha Foundation, said R. Mutharasan, the State secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

Mr. Mutharasan, who was in Coimbatore on Sunday to participate in the party’s State conference of agricultural labourers, told the media there were several allegations against Isha and its founder Jaggi Vasudev. The Foundation is said to have taken lands forcibly from farmers and the government and it is alleged to have encroached on a water body, he claimed.

The State government and the police should conduct a detailed inquiry and take required action, he said. “We are not against Isha. But, we are against the irregularities said to be happening there. The party organised several protests in the past too demanding action on Isha,” he said.

When asked about the Tamil Nadu government handing over land acquired for expansion of Coimbatore airport to the Centre without any conditions, he said the State government should not give in to the pressures of the Central government on any issue and should stand firm on its stand.

Meanwhile, the Isha Foundation said in a press release that despite recent Supreme Court judgements, Mr. Mutharasan’s remarks “seem to be driven by ulterior motives or pressure, appearing as the latest in a series of failed coordinated and vested attacks against Isha. ”He had made baseless claims without any genuine effort to ascertain the truth. He has neither conducted inquiries, sought information through RTI, nor referred to official government reports,” it contended.

Published - November 17, 2024 07:10 pm IST