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Mallikarjun Kharge’s son returns land amid row over allotment irregularities
The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, linked to Mallikarjun Kharge, returned a disputed 5-acre land in Bengaluru amid political pressure and allegations of irregularities
The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, run by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family, has returned a five-acre land in Bengaluru to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), following a complaint over alleged irregularities in its allotment and mounting pressure from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the southern state.
Kharge’s son and chairperson of the trust, Rahul M Kharge, wrote to KIADB chief executive officer on September 20, withdrawing his request for the allotment of the five-acre land in the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Bagalur in Bengaluru and urging the board to accept his request as a “voluntary surrender”.
“We withdraw our proposal and request the board to cancel the allotment of CA site requested for the multiple skill development centre and research centre,” Rahul Kharge wrote in the letter, a copy of which was shared by his brother and state’s minister Priyank Kharge on X.
The move comes at a time when the ruling Congress in Karnataka, and particularly chief minister Siddaramaiah, has come under political pressure over alleged irregularities in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment. Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi has returned the 14 sites to MUDA after the Lokayukta police registered a case against the chief minister, his wife and brother-in-law.
Rahul Kharge said the objective of the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, involving multiple members of Kharge family, was to create more employment opportunities through skill development in emerging technologies for students and unemployed youth. “The proposed Multi-Skill Development Centre aimed primarily to serve youngsters to make them more employable and industry ready with skills and future skills. It was also designed to help students who were unable to pursue college education,” he said.
He further said that the trust preferred a site within the KIADB industrial area because of its proximity to high-growth industries as it would provide invaluable exposure and opportunities for young people. “Siddhartha Vihar Trust is a public educational, cultural, and charitable trust and not a private or family-run trust. All institutions established under its aegis are ‘Not For Profit’,” he added.
In March 2024, activist Dinesh Kallahalli filed a complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, accusing the Kharge family of benefiting from irregularities in the land allotment process. He also sought permission to prosecute Karnataka industries minister MB Patil for his alleged role in the matter. Patil, however, denied any wrongdoing, claiming that Rahul Kharge was a qualified applicant and that the process was merit-based and transparent.
The BJP, which had questioned the allotment of the site and called it “misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest”, described the move to return the five-acre land as “evidence” of corruption and mismanagement by the Congress government in Karnataka.
“I feel vindicated. The Kharge family has returned the 5-acre KIADB land illegally allotted to them. When I had raised this issue I was threatened and abused by Kharge Jr. and his cronies. Truth has prevailed,” BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya, who has been vocal against Kharges over the issue, said in a statement.
Priyank Kharge, slammed the Opposition BJP for turning the land allotment issue into a political spectacle.
“It is most unfortunate that despite the chairman being fully qualified for the site, BJP chose to pick on him for their petty politics,” he said, defending his brother.
