‘After MUDA, One More Khatakhat Loot’: BJP Levels ‘Land Scam’ Charge At Kharge Family, Congress Hits Back

Two days after BJP leader Lahar Singh Siroya questioned the alleged allocation of land under the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board to a trust run by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family, the saffron party has fired a fresh salvo posing seven questions on what it is calling the “Kharge land scam”.

“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.

The Congress-led government in Karnataka, however, denied the allegations and said the land allotted to Kharge’s son, Rahul Kharge, is as per the rules. State minister MB Patil slammed Siroya for making such claims and said Rahul Kharge has applied for a research and development centre at the site.

In his posts on social media on August 25, Siroya questioned how the Kharge family had become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for the land, which he said was meant for civic amenities in the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru. Now, the BJP is saying this is another “land scam” in Karnataka after the MUDA scam allegedly involved chief minister Siddaramaiah and his family.

Here are the seven questions posed by the BJP, included in Poonawalla’s lengthy social media post:

1. Is this about misuse of power, nepotism and conflict of interest?
2. How did the industries minister consent to this allocation in March 2024?
3. When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land?
4. Is this not injustice to ordinary SC entrepreneurs and the youth? Should they have not got the benefit?
5. After the MUDA scam, one more khatakhat loot? Is this not about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?
6. 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?
7. 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?

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya further brought attention to the news report, alleging that Kharge and his family were “embroiled” in a land scam in Karnataka. He, too, posed similar questions as Poonawalla and said the case is about “misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest”.

“After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, now Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and family are embroiled in a land scam in Karnataka…” he wrote in a post on X.

“How did the Industries Minister, Mr MB Patil, consent to this allocation in March 2024? When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? The matter of this alleged illegal allocation has also reached the Hon’ble Goveror’s (governor’s) office through an RTI activist,” he said, reposting Siroya’s thoughts on the matter.

Malviya asked for answers from Kharge and asked if he will eventually give up this land like Siddaramaiah did in the MUDA case, and further sought to know if this allocation will be probed.

‘Rahul Kharge’s trust allotted plot as per norms’

Patil On Monday (August 26) clarified that the educational trust run by Rahul Kharge was allotted a civic amenity (CA) plot at aerospace park at a prescribed price, as per the norms. In a statement, he dismissed allegations made by Siroya and insisted that no rules were violated in the process.

“Rahul Kharge is an IIT graduate who has expressed his intention to establish a Research and Development (R&D) Centre on the allotted land. His family has a longstanding involvement in various educational activities. Under KIADB norms, CA plots can be used for setting up R&D centres, centres of excellence, technical institutes, skill development centres, government offices, banks, hospitals, hotels, petrol stations, canteens, and residential facilities,” he said.

He explained that any interested and eligible person can apply for a CA plot and allotments will be made after recommendations from the state-level single window committee. He said Rahul Kharge has not been allotted an industrial plot at aerospace park but a CA plot for establishing an R&D centre at a prescribed price, with no discounts given.

The minister further stressed that since he took office, a more transparent system has been implemented where CA plots are allotted only after state-level single window committee approval. “Additionally, for the first time, we have introduced a 24.10 per cent reservation for scheduled castes in the allotment of CA plots,” he added.

He also took a dig at the opposition parties and said when the BJP was in power it had allotted 116 acres of land to Chanakya University in an industrial area for a mere Rs 50 crore, resulting in a Rs 137 crore loss to the state exchequer.

(With PTI inputs)