The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, Priyank Kharge, of involvement in land grabbing and corruption in Karnataka through the Siddhartha Vihar Trust. The BJP alleged that the Kharge family has taken over land meant for the poor.
At a press conference in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, along with other family members, are linked to corruption and land grabbing activities in Karnataka through the Siddharth Vihar Trust. Bhandari presented multiple instances where the trust allegedly acquired land using their influence.
One case highlighted by Bhandari involved the allocation of five acres of industrial land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) during the Congress government’s tenure. The BJP raised questions about the misuse of power to grant valuable land to the trust.
The BJP spokesperson further alleged that the Congress government allotted 19 acres of government land to Kharge’s private trust, effectively converting public property into private ownership. Bhandari emphasized the need for accountability and responses from Kharge regarding the alleged land misappropriation.
Referring to another incident, Bhandari mentioned a suspicious land transfer involving a “dummy” seller associated with the Siddharth Vihar Trust. He drew parallels with similar land grab allegations faced by other political figures, emphasizing the need for Mallikarjun Kharge to address the accusations.
