The BJP has accused the Congress president and his son of “land grabbing” through the Karnataka trust

Through this trust, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge have seized control of various countries and usurped the lands of the poor using their political power,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said. Screengrab: X/ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyank Kharge of being involved in “land grabbing” in Karnataka. Mr. Priyank hit back and accused the BJP of trying to please the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“People are demanding Ram Mandir bills in Ayodhya but BJP is working overtime to demand accountability of Lord Buddha in Kalaburagi. You had five BJP Chief Ministers in Karnataka. Why did none of them act?” released by the Karnataka Home Minister on X

“Modi Sarkar has been in power for 12 years. If there has been wrongdoing, why am I still walking free and not in jail? My documents are publicly available and ready to be discussed on any platform. Now tell us when your political masters in the RSS will show theirs?” he said.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that Mr Kharge and his son were “involved in land grabbing and corruption in Karnataka through the Siddhartha Vihar Trust”.

“This trust includes Mallikarjun Kharge, his son Priyank Kharge, his son-in-law and his wife. This trust belongs to the Mallikarjun Kharge family. Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge have seized control of various lands through this trust and usurped the lands of the poor using their political power,” alleged Mr. Bhandari.

The BJP’s attack on Mr Kharge and his son came a day after the Congress questioned why there was no probe into the Madhya Pradesh “land scam” allegations allegedly involving family members of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The BJP dismissed the allegations against Mr Yadav as “baseless”.

Mr Bhandari alleged that the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board had given the trust five acres of land with a “market value of ₹100 crore” in 2024 for research and development in the aerospace and defense sector, despite having no previous experience in the field.

He also claimed that in 2016, 19 acres of land in Kalaburagi was given on lease for 30 years, which was later changed to permanent. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report of 2018 highlighted the issue related to land transfer, Mr. Bhandari said.

In another matter, the BJP leader alleged that a “fake vendor” was created in 2011 involving 7.18 acres of land in Kalaburagi. He cited another matter relating to a plot measuring 8,125 square meters in Bengaluru.

Seeking clarification from Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, his son and confidence on the allegations, he asked why Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is not taking action under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

BJP leaders had earlier made similar allegations about the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which the Kharge family denied.

Published – 24 Jun 2026 22:57 IST