Karnataka: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and his family have decided to return the five-acre land that was allotted to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which is headed by Kharge’s son, Rahul M Kharge. The move comes amid an ongoing investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site scam.

Land Allotment and Controversy

The land in question, located in the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Bagalur, was allocated to Rahul Kharge by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) under the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota. The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, to which the land was allotted, includes several members of the Kharge family, including Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, his son-in-law Radhakrishna (Kalaburagi MP), and Rahul Kharge.

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The controversy surrounding this land allotment began in March 2024 when the Congress-led Karnataka government granted the land to the trust. The opposition BJP quickly criticized the move, with Amit Malviya, head of the party’s IT cell, accusing the government of “nepotism” and “misuse of power.”

Response to Criticism and Probe

In light of the mounting criticism and the ongoing investigation, the Mallikarjun Kharge family’s decision to return the land mirrors a similar action by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also returned a controversial MUDA land allotment recently. Both actions appear to be aimed at reducing the political fallout from the land controversy.

Legal Complaints and Allegations

Activist Dinesh Kallahalli has lodged a formal complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, alleging corruption and irregularities in the land allotment. Kallahalli has also sought permission to prosecute Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil, accusing him of involvement in the improper allocation of land to Rahul Kharge.

Minister Patil, however, has denied all allegations, defending the process by which the land was allocated. He claims that Rahul Kharge was a “qualified applicant” and that the land was awarded through a transparent, merit-based process.

As investigations continue, the return of the land by the Kharge family signals an attempt to mitigate the impact of the ongoing controversy.

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