A fresh political controversy has erupted in Karnataka with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioning the allotment of land at the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) site to a trust run by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family and headed by his son Rahul Kharge.
The 5-acre plot was part of 45.94 acres reserved for establishing civic amenities at the aerospace park, which would be allocated as per the Scheduled caste quota, according to a report by the Indian Express.
Minister of Industries of Karnataka MB Patil The minister confirmed the allotment to the Siddhartha Vihara Trust in March 2024, about a year after the Congress came to power in Karnataka. The minister said no rules had been violated and the site had been given “at a prescribed price, without any discounts,” the Indian Express report said.
BJP leader and Member of Parliament (MP), Lahar Singh Siroya Mr Kharge raised the allegations in a post on X, citing a news website. He asked when the Kharge family became aerospace entrepreneurs to qualify for KIADB land. “Is this abuse of power, nepotism and conflict of interest?” he said.
The allegations against Kharge and his family come amid the ongoing controversy over a land allotment scam involving the Chief Minister. SiddaramaiahGovernor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot has granted sanction to prosecute the CM over the disputed allotment of land under a Mysore Urban Development Authority scheme to his wife.
Responding to the allegations made by Siroya, son of the Congress President and Chief Minister of Karnataka, Priyank Kharge Mr KIADB denied the allegations and claimed that the allotted land was not “an industrial plot meant for industrial or commercial purposes”. He claimed that the KIADB had not given any subsidy or provided any exemption to the trust run by the family to whom the plot had been allotted.
“Lack of knowledge is dangerous, Sri Lahar Singh. Firstly, the allotted site is NOT an industrial plot meant for industrial or commercial purposes but for educational purposes. The intention of the trust is to establish a multi-skill development centre at the CA site. Is this incorrect?” Kharge said.
Little knowledge is dangerous Sri @LaharSingh_MP mean.
First of all, the allocated land is NOT an industrial land intended for industrial or commercial purposes, but is for educational purposes.
The Trust intends to establish a multi-skills development centre at the CA site. It is… https://t.co/6xD8nf0mio
– Priyank Kharge (@PriyankKharge) August 26, 2024
Priyank is also a trustee of the Siddhartha Vihara Trustwhich was allotted 5 acres at the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru. Formed in July 1994, its other trustees include Rahul Kharge (who is also its chairman) and Kharge’s son-in-law and MP from Gulbarga. Radhakrishna.
“There are no subsidies or fees for civic amenity plots allotted to SC/ST organisations. The trustees have experience in establishing and managing good quality and affordable educational institutions. Incidentally, the chairman of the trust has worked extensively at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science for many years. So don’t worry about his understanding of science,” Priyank added in the post.
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