Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's son Rahul Kharge on Sunday wrote to the CEO of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) seeking cancellation of the ownership of the five-acre plot allotted to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust.
It is learnt that in a letter to KIADB CEO, Rahul Kharge, who is also the Chairman of Siddhartha Vihar Trust, wrote: "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."
"The board may accept it as a voluntary surrender of the CA site as per Clause 8 of the allotment letter," he wrote further in the letter dated September 20, 2024.
Rahul Kharge's decision to surrender the land assumes significance as it comes at a time of intense heat over MUDA land scam. It also comes close on the heels of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah returning the controversial MUDA land allotment, which had drawn flak from the Opposition.
The controversy surrounding the five-acre plot began in March last year when Siddarmaiah government granted land to Siddhartha Vihar Trust headed by Rahul Kharge.
This invited quick condemnation and criticism from the BJP's Karnataka unit, which said it was 'power abuse and nepotism' for giving favouritism deals to party members.
The Karnataka BJP also sought removal of Priyanka Kharge, son of Mallikarjun Kharge, from the Karnataka Cabinet for allowing a sale of prohibited land for his family by the KIADB.
While all this drama was unfolding, Priyank Kharge took to X and slammed the BJP for creating "needless controversy" over the issue.
Siddhartha Vihar Trust is an educational, cultural and charitable trust and not a family or private entity, he said.
"The trust did not wish to be drawn into long-drawn controversies which will divert attention and efforts from the primary objective of education and social service," he said.
He shot back at BJP stating: "A person, who can't even hold a bat can become Chairman of ICC or BCCI under the BJP regime but a person, who was conferred Agni Award from DRDO for Excellence in Self Reliance, can't build a skill development center for the youth".
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