Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Information Technology and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The allotment of a civic amenity (CA) plot to a trust run by Congress president Mallikajrun Kharge’s family reached the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Naryanaswamy has asked Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to dismiss IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge from the Cabinet on charges of “nepotism”.
The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, founded by Mallikarjun Kharge, is chaired by his son Rahul Kharge. The trust had applied to purchase a 5-acre CA site at the Hi-Tech, Defence & Aerospace Park at Devanahalli earlier this year. The trust is paying Rs 14 crore for the parcel.
In his petition to the Governor, Narayanaswamy named Kharge, his wife Radhabai, sons Priyank and Rahul, and son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga MP) as members of the trust.
“How did the Kharges become aerospace engineers? How did the department give its nod for this allotment? Was the (industries) minister (MB Patil) compelled by the CM,” Narayanaswamy asked, urging Gehlot to take cognisance of the “seriousness” of the matter and fire Priyank from the Cabinet “for snatching yet another opportunity from deserving SC entrepreneurs”.
Narayanaswamy claimed that this was a “criminal breach of trust from the Kharges towards fellow Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs”.
Denying the allegations, Priyank said the trust is “purchasing” the CA site without any illegality.
According to Priyank, there were 43 organisations that applied for 193 CA plots of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). “Where is the question of nepotism? If there were 2,000 or 20,000 applications, then I’d understand the allegation,” he said.
“Let’s understand that this is neither an industrial site nor a commercial plot. This is a CA site for purposes such as education, skill development and other not-for-profit causes,” Priyank said.
Slamming BJP leaders for lacking “common sense”, Priyank said, “CA sites aren’t allotted or auctioned. They must be purchased.”
Priyank said the trust has been around for nearly three decades. “Is it wrong to set up a skill development centre? What’s wrong with seeking to purchase a plot from the government? What’s illegal here? We haven’t sought any subsidy or deferred payment,” he said.
Priyank said his brother Rahul is distinguished. “He is an SSLC topper, an engineering topper. He was an IRS officer of the Maharashtra cadre who quit to do research. He was at the Supercomputer Education and Research Centre of the IISc,” he said.
“Nothing is said about BS Yediyurappa whose family runs institutions in Shivamogga. Is Yediyurappa an engineer?”
The minister said the matter has become a controversy because his family name is involved.