MP: Land row intensifies as Congress demands SC judge probe into Ujjain trust deal
New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) The political controversy surrounding alleged land transactions linked to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his family members deepened on Wednesday, with the Congress escalating its attack by demanding a judicial probe under a sitting Supreme Court judge into what it described as a “massive land grab” in Ujjain.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari alleged that government land worth nearly Rs 500 crore had been allotted to a trust headed by Shri Ram, cultural advisor to Chief Minister Yadav, for a token amount of Rs 1.
Calling the transaction suspicious, he demanded that the state government explain the circumstances under which such land was transferred.
“Government land worth around Rs 500 crore was handed over for Rs 1 to a trust headed by the Chief Minister’s cultural advisor. The government must tell the people of Madhya Pradesh why such a decision was taken and who stands to benefit from it,” Patwari said, adding that the issue was part of a larger pattern of questionable land-related decisions.
The fresh allegations follow earlier claims by the Congress that Yadav and his family members had purchased nearly 168 acres of land in and around Ujjain after he became Chief Minister, including about 111 acres in areas linked to future Simhastha Kumbh preparations.
The opposition has also alleged that some of these acquisitions were made in locations likely to benefit from development projects proposed under Ujjain’s Master Plan-2035.
Congress spokesperson and Chairman of the AICC Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera joined Patwari in accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of shielding the transactions.
He remarked, “Sangham Sharnam Gachchhami”, suggesting that those involved in land grabbing had the protection of the Sangh. He further alleged that the BJP had betrayed the religious faith of people, pointing out that land purchases by the Chief Minister’s family in the sacred city of Ujjain amounted to insider trading, as they had prior knowledge of development projects.
Khera drew comparisons with the Congress’s decision to remove Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra Chief Minister after allegations surfaced regarding his mother-in-law owning an apartment in the Adarsh Housing Society, questioning why the BJP had remained silent in the present case. He also ridiculed attempts by the BJP to bring in an OBC angle instead of providing answers, saying wrongdoing could not be justified by community identity.
Patwari pressed further, asking why more than 30 hours after the publication of reports on the land purchases, neither the BJP nor the state government had initiated action against the newspaper or filed a defamation case if the reports were false.
The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal said there had been no increase in the landholdings of the Chief Minister and his immediate family since 2023.
He clarified that Yadav owned 17 acres of land at the time of filing his nomination for election and continues to own the same amount, while the holdings of his wife, Seema Yadav, and his son remain unchanged.
He added that Yadav had resigned from the Siddhivinayak firm in 2017, though the firm owned 68 acres of land in 2023, and that his daughter-in-law, Shalini Yadav, had purchased 10 acres of agricultural land before the master plan was prepared.
“Every transaction has been carried out legally and is supported by official documents. The Congress is making baseless allegations only to tarnish the Chief Minister’s image,” Khandelwal said.
The escalating row has sharpened political fault lines in Madhya Pradesh, with the Congress insisting that the Ujjain land controversy is only the beginning of a series of scandals it intends to expose, while the BJP maintains that the charges are unfounded and aimed at maligning the Chief Minister.
–IANS
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