Upset with the controversy over the allotment of land for her proposed dance institute, yesteryear actress and BJP MP Hema Malini said here on Monday that she was not grabbing any land as was being made out and that she would abide by all rules and make necessary payment for the acquisition of the plot.
“I am not grabbing any land. I do not know why people are writing things like land grabbing etc.. I have struggled for getting this land. It is my right to have this place. I have been asking for it for the last 20 years. Everybody was keen to give it me, but somehow it had not happened. I will follow whatever the laid down procedure for acquiring the land,” Malini said.
“I have not paid anything as of now. I will follow all the rules and regulations of the government. Why speculate the price when I don’t know myself how much I have to payIJ Whatever will be the cost I will pay it,” she said.
Addressing a news conference here, Malini said: “There is nothing political in the allotment. Now the people are making it political. From the beginning, I have been an artist. The people are fond of me. You should all come for the inauguration of my dancing school”
Malini addressed the news conference in the wake of an allegation made by the Opposition Congress that the BJP-led saffron alliance government had allotted the land at a throwaway price of `70,000 and the revelation made in response to an RTO query made by activist Anil Galgali that the actress had been allotted 2,000 sq meters of land at the rate of `35 per square meter.
Replying to a question on the nature of dances to be taught at her proposed school, the actress said: My main concentration would be on Bharatanatyam, Odisi and Kathak. I will give importance to all forms of classical dances. As far as teaching dances to actresses in Bollywood, I have not thought of anything. May be one class a week... But, it is my dream to teach classic dances to everyone”.
The actress has been allotted 2,000 square metres land for setting up her dance institute. Besides this, she has to develop a garden on the remaining 27,000 square metres land at Ambivali in Andheri. “I am getting 2,000 square metres land for building dance institute — Natyavihar Kalakendra Charity Trust,” she said.
The actress said that apart from setting up the dancing academy, she also had to create a garden there and hand it over to the Mumbai civic body. “The garden is besides creating the dance academy... So it is like a white elephant for me,” she said.