NEW DELHI, 14 OCT

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Monday alleged that Rahul Gandhi has benefitted from corruption in Karnataka.

His statement came after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's family decided to return a five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son, Rahul Kharge.

"Karnataka Congress government is only focused on corruption, on taking land from the poor and filling the coffers of their family members...Both Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah consider Rahul Gandhi as their mentor. So, was Rahul Gandhi a corruption mentor to both of them? It is proven that the Karnataka Congress Government is the most corrupt government to date and Rahul Gandhi was a beneficiary of the corruption happening in Karnataka," he said.

Bhandari also said that Mallikarjun Kharge has admitted that he abused his official position to provide alleged benefits to his family members after his family decided to return a five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son.

"Mallikarjun has admitted that he abused his official position to provide alleged benefits to his family members. It is proven that the modus operandi that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has used in the MUDA scam to provide benefits to his family members is similar to the one used by Mallikarjun Kharge in the KIADB land issue," Bhandari said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal termed Mallikarjun Kharge's family's decision to return five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son Rahul Kharge as an indication of a possible fraud and demanded the matter be investigated.

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.

BJP 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). Speaking to ANI 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?" -ANI