Days after the Karnataka Governor sanctioned prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam, the Congress President and Karnataka Ministers have courted fresh controversy over the allotment of a land parcel. The development comes months after the state development authority awarded over 5 acres of land near Bengaluru to the Kharge family’s trust, prompting the BJP to launch a scathing attack on the Congress party. It has accused the authority of “flouting rules” while allocating this land parcel. They have also flagged the issue of “conflict of interest” and charged Congress leaders with “nepotism” and “misuse of power”.

As per reports, in March 2024, the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) allotted 5 acres of land in the Aerospace Park near Bengaluru to Siddhartha Vihar Trust (trustees include the Kharge family). The allocation was done under the SC quota, even though the land was meant for civic amenities (CA). 

Notably, the Siddharta Vihar trust is run and managed by the family members of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with his son, Rahul Kharge being the chairperson.

According to the reports, the trustees of this Siddhartha Vihar Trust include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga MP Radhakrishna, his son who is also Karnataka Minister Priyanka Kharge, and another son, Rahul Kharge. It was formed in July 1994. 

This 5-acre parcel is part of 45.94 acres which was earmarked for a Hitech Defense Aerospace Park by the KIADB. While the allotment happened in March this year, the issue rose to prominence after BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya raised questions about the Kharge family’s eligibility to get a KIADB site. He also shared a media report of a portal named, The File, which published deed documents about this case. 

(Image of deed document accessed and shared by Kannada portal, The File)
(Image Source – The File)
(Image Source – The File)

Following the publication of deed documents, politics intensified in the state. While the BJP accused Congress of corruption, Karnataka Ministers have defended the allotment of land to the Kharge family’s trust claiming that it is not meant for “commercial purposes”.

The timeline of the controversy explained

It all started after a social activist named Dinesh Kallahalli lodged a complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. In his complaint, he alleged that there was a conspiracy and massive corruption in the allotment of plots earmarked for Civil Amenities (CA) in industrial areas. He also alleged irregularities, abuse of power, and corruption in the allotment of the KIADB sites. 

(Video Courtesy – Public TV YouTube Channel)

Kallahalli also requested the Governor to sanction prosecution against Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil so that the state Lokayukta could file a complaint in this matter. 

Following the complaint, a portal named, The File, revealed the Siddhartha Vihar trust deed documents. 

As per the report published in Kannada, the Siddhartha Vihara Trust had sought land sanction for setting up research and development training institutes at the Hi-Tech Defense Aerospace Park. Subsequently, Minister MB Patil presided over a meeting and allotted 5 acres of land to Siddhartha Vihar Trust. However, the proceedings of the meeting only mentioned the name of Rahul Kharge – son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. 

The report added that a total of Rs 25 crores will be invested in this space for the establishment of training and research institutes. However, Kallahalli accused KIADB of not being transparent in allocating this land which was earmarked for civic amenities in the industrial area. 

(Complaint copy as shared by Kannada portal, The File)

He also accused the authority and Congress leaders of misuse of power, committing embezzlement, illegality, criminal conspiracy, and massive corruption. According to The File report, the KIADB has incurred losses worth crores as it didn’t follow the rules regarding the allotment rate among other irregularities.  

In his complaint, Kallahalli also blamed Heavy and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil for being involved in this. He demanded that legal action should be taken against the accused under corruption charges.

BJP lashes out at Congress with ‘corruption charges’, Congress defends land allocation

However, trouble mounted for the Congress party, after BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya highlighted the issue and brought it into the spotlight. 

Taking to X, Siroya asked, “When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? Is this about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?” 

Meanwhile, BJP MP Siroya was joined by the Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra who also slammed the Kharge family and asked why was the land allotted only to the Kharge family. 

Vijayendra said, “Mallikarjun Kharge family trust has been allotted 5 acres of civic amenities plot which is right next to Bengaluru International Airport. This plot is worth crores and is a valuable plot. My question is if the government wanted to allot this property how many applicants were there? Why only the Kharge family’s trust was chosen for the allotment?…No rules were followed.”

A day after the BJP state unit accused the Kharge family’s trust of corruption, Karnataka Congress came out in defence of the Congress President and his family.

Mallikarjun Kharge’s son and the Karnataka IT/BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister, Priyank Kharge claimed that the allotted site was not meant for “industrial or commercial purposes”. He asked the BJP to explain to the public how the allotment of land is illegal.

Kharge claimed, “It is a CA (Civic Amenity) site. It is not an industrial plot. It’s an educational thing. The trust has been there for more than 2 decades and has been running educational institutions…”

He further claimed that the KIADB had not provided any subsidy or any relaxation to the trust run by the family to which the plot was awarded.

Furthermore, Karnataka Minister MB Patil defended the decision. He said that the land was allocated at the standard price and dismissed the BJP’s accusations as “politically motivated”.

It is pertinent to note that the allegations of corruption in the allotment of a land parcel against Kharge and his family come at a time when the state CM Siddaramaiah is embroiled in the MUDA scam. Governor Thawarchand Gehlot has already sanctioned prosecution against him over the disputed allocation of land under a Mysore Urban Development Authority scheme to his wife.

With inputs from ANI


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