BJP urges Karnataka Governor to remove Priyank from state cabinet
BJP leaders met with Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday to request action against Priyank Kharge.
BJP leaders met with Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday to request action against Priyank Kharge, accusing him of misusing his position to benefit his family’s trust at the expense of Scheduled Caste (SC) entrepreneurs.
The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for the dismissal of cabinet minister Priyank Kharge, alleging favouritism over the allotment of land to a trust associated with his family, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
The controversy centres around the allocation of five acres of land by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust under the SC quota. The land, located in the Hitech Defense Aerospace Park, near Bengaluru, is part of a 45.94-acre area designated for civic amenities (CA). The trust’s trustees include several members of the Kharge family.
Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, submitted a letter to the Governor during the meeting, describing the land allocation as a criminal breach of trust” against SC entrepreneurs. “…it is a case of criminal breach of trust from the Kharges towards the fellow Schedule Caste entrepreneurs, and I am of the opinion that this amounts to the breach of oath taken as the minister in the Karnataka Government,” he added.
He claimed that the Kharge family’s involvement in the trust represented a conflict of interest and asked the Governor to remove Priyank Kharge from his ministerial position. Narayanaswamy questioned how the Kharges, who are not known as aerospace entrepreneurs, were able to secure such a valuable land allotment. “How did the department approve this allotment? Was the Industries minister compelled by the chief minister to grant the land?” he asked, suggesting undue influence in the decision-making process.
The BJP has also pointed out that the trust is registered in Kalaburagi for the purpose of establishing a Buddha Vihara, but the land in question has been allotted for research and development purposes at an aerospace park, raising further suspicions about the allotment’s legitimacy.
Narayanaswamy insisted that this was a clear case of nepotism and demanded Priyank Kharge’s resignation, comparing the situation to the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam involving chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Reacting to BJP’s allegations, Siddaramaiah defended the land allotment, asserting that it was done legally. “The trust is eligible for the land, and the allocation was made in accordance with the law,” the CM said.
He also questioned the BJP’s criticism, noting that during their tenure, the previous government had allotted land to several organizations, including Prerana Trust and Chanakya University.
Priyank Kharge, who serves as the minister for electronics, IT/BT, and rural development and Panchayat Raj, strongly refuted the accusations. He clarified that the land was not an industrial plot but a civil amenities site intended for educational purposes. According to Kharge, the trust plans to establish a multi-skill development center on the site, which aligns with its educational mission.
“There is no subsidy or reduced cost for the land allotted to SC/ST organizations like our trust. The trustees have a proven track record of running quality educational institutions,” Kharge said, adding that the trust’s chairman has extensive experience working at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
In a social media post, Priyank Kharge also dismissed the notion that the land allotment involved any form of favouritism or relaxation of payment terms. He criticized BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya, who had questioned the Kharge family’s eligibility for the KIADB land, suggesting that Siroya’s comments were based on misinformation. “Little knowledge is dangerous, Sri @LaharSingh_MP avare. The site allotted is not for industrial purposes but for education. Is setting up a multi-skill development center wrong?” Kharge asked.
Siroya, however, has continued to raise concerns about the issue, questioning when the Kharge family became aerospace entrepreneurs and whether the land allocation constitutes a misuse of power and nepotism. The controversy comes at a time when the Karnataka government is already facing scrutiny over land allotment practices, including the MUDA scheme, for which the Governor has recently granted permission to prosecute chief minister Siddaramaiah.