Congress Rocked By MUDA Scam Again: After Siddaramaiah, Kharge’s Family Offers To Return Land

Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s family owned the Siddhartha Vihar Trust has now written to return back the five-acre land allotted to the trust, amidst an ongoing probe into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site scam. The Kharge family is the second big name from the Congress in the alleged MUDA scam after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Reportedly, the land in question had been allotted to Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, in the Hardware Sector of the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Bagalur by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

Earlier, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s wife had written a letter requesting to return the allotted land after the alleged MUDA scam surfaced drawing severe criticism from the Opposition.

Admission Of Guilt, Says BJP

Following the Kharg family’s decision to return the allocated land, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla blew away the Congress party and party President Mallikarjun Kharge saying that the decision to return land is an admission of guilt.

Poonawalla said, “Kharge family has returned the 5-acre KIADB land illegally allotted to them. They had grabbed this from deserving SC entrepreneurs in the aerospace domain !”

He also said that amid MUDA scam heat on Karnataka Chief Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge's son returns 5 acres of KIADB land. This is an admission of guilt.”

“Congress is equal to corruption ki dukaan. Return of land won’t absolve anyone of their crimes,” he further stated.  

Meanwhile, after the latest turn of events, a fresh controversy has erupted for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as the Opposition is hitting out at him over the allegations in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site scam. The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, owned by Kharge's family, has written to return the five-acre land allotted to the trust.

The MUDA scam has been a contentious issue, with allegations of illegal land allocation and favouritism towards certain individuals and organizations. The probe into the scam has implicated several high-profile individuals, including politicians and bureaucrats.

Kharge's family has come under scrutiny for their involvement in the scam, with questions being raised about the allotment of land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust. The trust's decision to return the land has done little to quell the controversy, with many calling for a thorough investigation into the matter.

The Opposition has been quick to pounce on the issue, accusing the Congress party of corruption and nepotism. "This is a clear case of misuse of power and corruption," said a BJP spokesperson. "The Congress party must come clean on this issue and explain why the land was allotted to Kharge's son."

Kharge and the Congress party have yet to respond to the allegations.

Land Allocated Under SC Quota

The controversy began in March 2024, when the Karnataka Congress government granted land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, headed by Rahul Kharge. The BJP was quick to criticise the allotment, with Amit Malviya, head of the party's IT cell, accusing the government of "misuse of power" and "nepotism."

The five-acre parcel was allocated under the Schedule Caste (SC) quota to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust. The trust includes several Kharge family members, such as Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, his son-in-law and Kalaburagi MP Radhakrishna, and son Rahul Kharge, as trustees.

The site is part of a larger 45.94-acre area set aside for the Hi-Tech Defense Aerospace Park by the KIADB.

Activist Dinesh Kallahalli lodged a formal complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, alleging irregularities and corruption in the allotment process. Kallahalli also requested permission to initiate prosecution against Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil, in order to file a complaint with the state Lokayukta.

Minister Patil has denied the allegations, asserting that Rahul Kharge was a "qualified applicant" and that the site was approved based on merit through a transparent, single-window approval process.