New Delhi: The political landscape of Karnataka is heating up as the BJP has launched a scathing attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing his family of a “land scam” involving the allocation of prime land by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). The accusations come just days after BJP leader Lahar Singh Siroya first raised concerns over the land allotment.
The BJP claims that a trust run by Kharge’s family, the Siddhartha Vihara Trust, has been allocated 5 acres of KIADB land, meant for civic amenities under the SC quota, in the prestigious Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru. The trust’s trustees include Kharge himself, his wife Radhabai Kharge, son-in-law and Gulbarga MP Radhakrishna, son and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, and another son Rahul Kharge, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed in a post.
Poonawalla has posed a series of pointed questions in his X post, alleging misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest in land allocation. He questioned the Kharge family’s qualifications as aerospace entrepreneurs.
“Another land scam in Karnataka after MUDA scam where Siddharamiah (Siddaramaiah) family had to answer now Kharge family? It has come to light from a news report backed by documents that a trust (Siddhartha Vihara Trust) run by Mr Mallikarjun Kharge’s family has been allocated 05 acres of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land (out of the total 45.94 acres) meant for civic amenities under the SC quota. The 5 acres allotted is in the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bangalore. The trustees include Mr Kharge himself, his wife, Mrs Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga MP, Mr Radhakrishna, another son and minister in the Karnataka Government, Mr Priyank Kharge and yet another son Mr Rahul Kharge among others,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X.
Another land scam in Karnataka
After MUDA scam where Siddharamiah family had to answer now Kharge family ?It has come to light from a news report backed by documents that a trust (Siddhartha Vihara Trust) run by Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge’s family has been allocated 05 acres of… pic.twitter.com/ghJPvq2W10
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) August 27, 2024
The Congress government, however, vehemently denies any wrongdoing, stating that the land allotment to Rahul Kharge was done according to the rules. State minister MB Patil, an IIT graduate, slammed the BJP’s allegations, claiming Rahul Kharge has applied for a research and development centre on the allotted land.
The BJP’s accusations come on the heels of the MUDA scam, which allegedly involved Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family. The party sees this as another instance of the Congress leadership’s corruption and misuse of power.
Here are the seven questions posed by the BJP, included in Poonawalla’s lengthy social media post:
- Is this about misuse of power, nepotism and conflict of interest?
- How did the industries minister consent to this allocation in March 2024?
- When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land?
- Is this not injustice to ordinary SC entrepreneurs and the youth? Should they have not got the benefit?
- After the MUDA scam, one more khatakhat loot? Is this not about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?
- Will Rahul Gandhi, who is himself accused in the NH (national highway) scam, say a word on this? Or will he remain silent as he has on the MUDA scam, Valmiki scam and other scams?
- Has this entire expose been done by a faction of the Congress because Siddaramaiah was facing heat on MUDA scam — so have they exposed Kharge too?