BJP’s Pradeep Bhandari alleged a ‘land loot’ scam by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyank in Karnataka through the Siddhartha Vihara Trust. He claimed the family used political influence to improperly acquire a 5-acre industrial plot.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Wednesday alleged “land loot” by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge in Karnataka through the Siddhartha Vihara Trust. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Bhandari alleged that the trust was controlled by members of the Kharge family and had been used to acquire land through political influence. The statement by the BJP comes amid allegations against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
BJP accuses Kharge family of ‘land loot’
“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and his son are looting land and engaging in corruption in Karnataka through a trust, which is our allegation. The name of this trust is the Siddhartha Vihara Trust. Mallikarjun Kharge, his son Priyank Kharge, his son-in-law, and his wife are all members of this trust,” Bhandari said.
Bhandari alleged that there is not one, but multiple corruption cases through this trust, adding, “So, this Siddhartha Vihara Trust–in which Priyank Kharge, who is a minister in the Karnataka government, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge are members–is a trust of the Kharge family itself. I will place not just one but multiple cases of corruption before you, detailing how Mallikarjun Kharge, through this trust, occupied various lands and used his power and influence to usurp the land of the poor.”
Irregularities in KIADB land allotment alleged
Bhandari claimed that the Siddhartha Vihara Trust benefited from the allotment of land by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) in 2024, during the continued tenure of the Congress party leading the state Alleging irregularities in the allotment, he said a five-acre plot earmarked for research and development in the aerospace and defence sector was granted to the trust despite it not being an industrial or aerospace organisation.
“The first case of land grabbing I want to present to you is the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which was granted by the KIADB in 2024, when the Congress government was in power in Karnataka. The stated purpose was Research and Development in Aerospace and Defence. The market rate for this five-acre plot is now Rs 100 crore. This should have been given to an industrial or aerospace trust,” Bhandari alleged.
He further claimed that no research and development activities were undertaken on the land and accused the trust of using political influence to secure the allotment.
Parallels drawn with Gandhi-Vadra family
Drawing parallels with allegations previously levelled against members of the Gandhi-Vadra family, Bhandari alleged that Mallikarjun Kharge had adopted a similar method of acquiring land through the trust.
“Instead, they gave it to this private trust owned by the Congress President, and this trust did not engage in any research and development activities. Remember, Rahul Gandhi and the entire Gandhi-Vadra family, including Robert Vadra, his brother-in-law, are facing similar allegations and cases of land grabbing in various areas. Mallikarjun Kharge, through the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, adopted the same method as the Gandhi-Vadra family. This is a crime under Section 131A and Section 131B of the Prevention of Corruption Act,” Bhandari alleged.
Congress’s counter-allegations against MP CM
These allegations come at a time when Congress had earlier alleged an involvement of Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav in an “alleged land scam” of 253 acres of land near Ujjain.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pawan Khera slammed Mohan Yadav and the BJP over the alleged land scam in Ujjain, claiming a conflict of interest in his family’s purchase of land in the region of Ujjain Master Plan 2035. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Khera alleged that Mohan Yadav’s family members bought 111 of 168 acres in the area where the Ujjain Kumbh will be held in 2028. (ANI)
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