Many big Cong leaders involved in MUDA scam, claims BJP after Kharge's son returns land

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Monday lashed out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam and said that this is just the beginning and as revelations follow, many Congress leaders will come under cloud.

The remarks come in the wake of Kharge's son, Rahul Kharge, requesting the cancellation of a controversial five-acre plot allotted to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, which he chairs.

In his letter to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) CEO on Sunday, Rahul Kharge sought the voluntary surrender of the land.

"We withdraw our proposal and request the board to cancel the allotment of the CA site requested for the multiple skill development centre and research centre," Rahul Kharge wrote in his letter dated September 20, 2024.

Reacting to this development, Hussain remarked, "This is just the beginning. There is no doubt that the MUDA scam occurred. Earlier, the Siddaramaiah family also returned the land when investigations started uncovering details. Now, the Congress President is also talking about returning the land."

"Congress has been looting the public land and fund under MUDA. The way the land was divided clearly shows that many high-profile Congress leaders were involved in this scam. Now, Mallikarjun Kharge has talked about returning the five acres of land; the land will have to be returned because this is a scam," he told IANS.

The BJP leader further highlighted that the issue is being widely discussed across Karnataka, especially in Mysore, stating, "The Congress was given the freedom to loot. The land scam is under investigation, and no one will be spared."

Rahul Kharge's decision to surrender the land comes amid increasing scrutiny over the MUDA land scam. It follows Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's return of a controversial MUDA land allotment, which had drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition.

The controversy surrounding the five-acre plot began in March 2024, when the Siddaramaiah government granted the land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, sparking accusations from the BJP of power abuse and nepotism by the Congress-led state government.