New Delhi: A fresh political confrontation erupted on Wednesday, June 24, after the BJP accused Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and his family of benefiting from irregular land allotments in Karnataka through the Siddharth Vihar Trust.
At a press conference in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that the trust, allegedly managed by members of the Kharge family, received valuable public land and property through misuse of political influence. The allegations come amid continuing political sparring between the BJP and Congress over corruption and governance issues.
Bhandari alleged that the trust consists exclusively of Kharge family members, including senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge and other relatives. He accused the family of using its political position to acquire land assets across Karnataka.
The BJP’s first allegation concerns the allotment of five acres of land in an aerospace and defence park by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). According to the party, the land was intended for industrial development but was instead allotted to the Siddharth Vihar Trust. BJP leaders estimated the property’s value at around Rs 100 crore and questioned whether due procedures were followed.
The second charge relates to 19 acres of government land in Kalaburagi, which the BJP alleged was transferred to the trust. The party demanded that Congress explain how public land allegedly became associated with a private organisation linked to a political family.
In its third allegation, the BJP claimed that a land transaction in Kalaburagi involved the creation of a fictitious seller to facilitate transfer of ownership to the trust. The party asserted that the identity of the original seller remains unclear and called for a detailed investigation.
Drawing parallels with previous allegations involving other Congress leaders, BJP leaders alleged a pattern of land-related irregularities. They also indicated that more information and documents regarding the alleged transactions would be released in the near future.
Congress leaders have yet to issue a detailed response to the allegations.
