Why now: BJP’s Jagadish Shettar questions timing of Kharge family’s decision to return land

DHARWAD: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Jagadish Shettar on Monday questioned the timing of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family returning five acres of land allotted to a trust run by his son Rahul Kharge and sought an explanation for the sudden move.

He also questioned why the Kharge family now wants to return the land to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).

Shettar said, “When allegations are made against the Siddhartha trust of Mallikarjun Kharge, he wants to return the land to the KIADB. Now why do they want to return it, they have to answer it. Why the public leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge want to get government land?… When the inquiry instigated public debate against them, then they are returning the site.”

Earlier today, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the Congress leaders were offering to return the land to avoid humiliation by the court.

#WATCH | Hubballi, Karnataka | BJP MP Jagadish Shettar says, “When allegations are made against the Siddhartha trust of Mallikarjun Kharge, he wants to return the land to the KIADB. Now why do they want to return it, they have to answer it. Why the public leaders like Mallikarjun… pic.twitter.com/DelXAR6ZZG

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024

“The decision to return the allotted land after objections were raised on the trust run by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge’s, clearly proves that the work of grabbing land by misusing power was going on at its highest level in Karnataka. In 2015, Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar was booked for a land grab case…Karnataka CM was involved in the MUDA scam. Mallikarjun Kharge’s family members were involved in the KIADB land grab case…Be it the CM, Dy CM or the National President… the entire top leadership of the Congress is equally involved in the land grabbing movement…Today, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Mallikarjun Kharge are offering to return the plots linked to the land scam. It’s not because their conscience has awakened. They are returning the land to avoid the humiliation of court proceedings,” Trivedi said.

Recently, after the ED booked the Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for money laundering in a case linked to the alleged MUDA land allotment scam, his wife wrote to the MUDA Commissioner, offering to surrender the 14 plots that were allotted to her by the authority.

The Mysuru Lokayukta officially initiated an inquiry and investigation into the case following a September 27 court order to file an FIR. The Lokayukta was directed to investigate allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, by MUDA. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. (ANI)