Mallikarjun Kharge returns Karnataka allotted land amid probe into Muda ‘scams’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family have decided to return the five acres of land allotted to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which belongs to the Kharge family, amid an ongoing probe into the Mysuru Urban Development scam Authority (MUDA).

The land in question had been allotted to Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Rahul M Kharge in the hardware sector of the high-tech defense and aerospace park in Bagalur by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

The move follows Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s decision to return a controversial land allotment to MUDA, which had drawn criticism from the opposition.

The controversy began in March 2024, when the Congress government in Karnataka granted land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, headed by Rahul Kharge. The BJP was quick to criticize the attribution, with Amit Malviya, head of the party’s IT cell, accusing the government of “abuse of power” and “nepotism”.

The five-acre plot was allotted under the Schedule Caste (SC) quota to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust. The trust includes several members of the Kharge family, such as Congress leader 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 as a high-tech defense aerospace park by the KIADB.

Activist Dinesh Kallahalli has filed a formal complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, alleging irregularities and corruption in the allocation process. Kallahalli also sought permission to initiate proceedings against Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil to file a complaint with the State Lokayukta.

Minister Patil denied the allegations, saying Rahul Kharge was a “qualified candidate” and the site was approved on the basis of merit through a transparent, single-window approval process.