Kharge’s son returns land amid MUDA row: Has Congress ‘land’ed in trouble again? | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Is the Congress on the backfoot over another land-related controversy? The decision of Rahul Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, to withdraw the request for allotment of five acres of land in Bengaluru, has put the spotlight back on the grand-old-party’s land troubles. The BJP has been quick to take swipes at Congress and allege that the party which was once associated with “bhu daan” (giving away land in charity) is now neck deep in “bhu harap” (land grab).
Rahul Kharge, who is chairperson of Siddhartha Vihar Trust, had sought land to set up ‘Multi-Skill Development Centre, Training Institutes and Research Centre’. The Trust had submitted its proposal to the KIADB on February 12, 2024, and a month later, the proposal was approved. However, in a letter to the chief executive officer of the Karnataka Industrial Development Board (KIADB) on September 20, Rahul Kharge wrote, “Withdrawal of our request for Civic Amenity site to set up Multi Skill Development Centre, Training Institutes and a Research Centre.” He said the objective of the Siddhartha Vihar Trust was to create more employable opportunities through skill development in emerging technologies for students and unemployed youth.
Rahul Kharge’s U-turn move comes amid the heat over the ongoing MUDA scam row involving Parvathi, wife of Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. Parvathi returned 14 sites to Mysuru Urban Development Authority after the Lokayukta police registered a case against the chief minister, his wife and his brother-in-law.
To add to the woes of the Congress, a deposer during a meeting of parliamentary committee examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alleged that Mallikarjun Kharge was involved in Waqf land scams.
Anwar Manippady, a former chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission and Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation and also a former Karnataka BJP vice-president, named several Congress leaders from Karnataka, including Kharge and Rehman Khan, and others for their alleged involvement in embezzling Waqf properties.
The BJP has alleged that the entire top leadership of the Congress is involved in corruption relating to land transactions and suggested they should resign on moral grounds after being “exposed”.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi unleashed a sharp attack on the Congress and said these decisions were triggered by adverse CAG reports and legal proceedings, and amounted to a virtual admission that the transactions were wrong. It was done to escape humiliation in legal proceedings, he claimed.
A party, which was once associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave’s “bhu daan” (giving away land in charity), is now neck deep in “bhu harap” (land grab) under the “inspiration” of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, he alleged.
The BJP MP noted in the press conference that both Gandhis are accused in the National Herald case, which pertains to the alleged capture of company’s properties at a highly nominal rate, and added that the probe began in the case on a court’s direction before his party came to power in 2014.
Such allegations involving land have been levelled against Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, both former chief ministers, and DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka deputy chief minister, among others, he added.
“It clearly shows that the entire top leadership of the Congress is involved in corruption involving land-grabbing,” he said and asked, “Should not those who returned land resign on moral grounds?”
BJP’s salvos are not new for the Congress which faced similar allegations over dubious land deals in Haryana involving Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi.
The BJP has time and again accused Vadra’s company of acquiring 3.5 acres of land of farmers and the then Bhupinder Hooda government of Haryana changing the land use, allowing him to pocket a huge profit by selling the parcel at four times the purchase price.
In another case, farmers resorted to distress selling of their land after the Congress government in the state issued a notification to acquire their land and then denotified after a builder linked to Vadra bought their land, he alleged. Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality was also charged with violations in the transfer of land to DLF.
In 2023, the Haryana government, however had told Punjab and Haryana High Court that no rules were violated in the transfer of land by Robert Vadra’s firm to realty giant DLF. Vadra has also constantly denied allegations of any wrong-doing and accused the BJP of targeting him due to political vendetta.
Clearly, the Congress needs to ensure that it stays away from land-ing in trouble in party ruled states.