New Delhi: Opposition leaders have accused the BJP of turning a blind eye to an alleged “253-acre mega land scam” in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, after a report detailed extensive land purchases by the state chief minister’s family near the holy Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.
The Indian Express on Tuesday said that since Mohan Yadav first became a minister in 2021, members of his family acquired 253 acres around Ujjain. The report asserted that the plots lie either adjacent to new road projects announced for the area or within zones marked for conversion from agricultural land to residential or commercial use.
Congress Lashes Out At BJP
Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, reacting to the report, invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-corruption slogan and accused the government of hypocrisy. “PM Modi, why have ED-CBI not knocked on the doors of MP CM Mohan Yadav? Is a 253-acre mega land scam not grounds enough to chase him and punish him for his crimes?” he wrote on X.
“A regime that is hyperactive to misuse investigative agencies to hound Opposition leader
s to settle political scores, or to coerce them into joining their alliance, is now in deep slumber while their own chosen lieutenants loot public wealth,” Venugopal said.
He added: “The people are well aware of the truth behind ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khaane Doonga’ and they demand justice. This farce must end.”
Venugopal also linked the Ujjain allegations to other controversies, saying, “be it the Ujjain ‘land scam’ or the shocking ‘loot’ of donation funds from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, or the alleged ‘corruption by the Assam CM and his family – the list is endless’.”
Allegations Of Coordinated Looting
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh joined in the criticism, accusing the state government of facilitating a systematic plunder. He shared the Indian Express story on X and said the report showed that the chief minister’s family and associated real estate firms bought at least 137 plots totalling 168 acres in Ujjain for about Rs 45 crore since December 2023, largely in areas set to benefit from infrastructure projects and land-use changes announced by the state government.
Yadav, Ramesh charged, is “at the helm of this ‘looting’.” He also claimed that internal party dynamics have worsened the situation, commenting: “There is also talk that the Agriculture Minister — who moved from MP to the Centre — is the one who orchestrated the ‘planting of stories’ against the Chief Minister!”
Power Struggle Suggested
“The infighting appears to be over the seat of power and a share in the spoils,” Ramesh added.
Neither the BJP nor the Madhya Pradesh government has issued a public comment on the Indian Express report or the opposition’s charges.