The BJP on Wednesday stepped up its attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging that trusts linked to him and his family benefited from land allotments made during Congress rule in Karnataka and demanding an explanation on how public land was transferred to private entities associated with the Kharge family.
At a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that land earmarked for public purposes was allotted to trusts in which Kharge and his son, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, were members. Framing the issue as one of public accountability, Bhandari questioned whether political influence had been used to secure benefits for private trusts.
The BJP leader referred to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and alleged that public office had been used to obtain advantages for entities linked to the Kharge family. He specifically questioned the allotment of land meant for aerospace and Pali language research-related activities to a trust allegedly associated with the Congress president’s family.
Bhandari also cited the Siddhartha Vihara Trust, claiming that both Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge are among its members. He alleged that the trust was allotted 19 acres of land in Gulbarga district during a Congress government in Karnataka on the stated grounds of promoting research and development related to the Pali language.
According to the BJP spokesperson, the land was first allotted on lease of 30 years and later converted into a permanent arrangement, resulting in public land being transferred to a private trust. He further claimed that a Comptroller and Auditor General report had raised questions over whether the allotment served a broader public purpose, alleging that the transfer benefited the trust rather than the public at large.
Escalating the attack, Bhandari alleged that land worth hundreds of crores had been transferred to trusts linked to the Kharge family and sought answers on the public benefit generated through such allotments. He questioned whether political office and influence had played a role in the decisions and called for a response from the Congress leadership.
The latest allegations add to an increasingly bitter political contest between the BJP and the Congress, with both parties accusing each other of benefiting from land transactions and misuse of office. The BJP’s offensive against Kharge comes at a time when the ruling party itself has faced opposition criticism over reports concerning land purchases by family members and firms linked to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. While opposition parties have raised questions over those transactions, the BJP’s MP president has dismissed the allegations and described them as politically motivated.
The Congress had not responded to the allegations made by Bhandari at the time of filing this report.
