New Delhi, July 15 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, alleging that their close associate was involved in a narcotics case in Maharashtra.
The party also criticised the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu over alleged irregularities in land record management in Madurai.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP national secretary and spokesperson Anil K. Antony referred to the arrest of Lingaraj Kanni, a Congress functionary and Block President of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, along with two associates, Irfan and Tausif, in Thane, Maharashtra. The three were reportedly found in possession of 120 bottles of banned narcotic substances and were arrested for alleged drug trafficking.
Antony alleged that Kanni shares close ties with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, the latter being Kharge’s son and an MLA from Kalaburagi. He criticised the Congress party for what he described as its silence over the arrest of senior leaders’ close aides, while frequently demanding accountability from the BJP on various issues.
“When will Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyank Kharge and Rahul Gandhi break their silence on this matter?” Antony asked.
Turning his attention to Tamil Nadu, Antony raised concerns over an alleged land revenue scam in the Madurai Municipal Corporation, governed by the DMK. He accused the administration of manipulating software systems to undervalue land records, resulting in a reported tax revenue loss of Rs 150–Rs 200 crore to the state exchequer.
“This is yet another scam under the DMK regime, which has already seen controversies related to fisheries, sand mining, ETL infrastructure, TASMAC liquor sales, and now land records,” Antony said.
With Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for 2026, the BJP leader appealed to the electorate to consider voting for a “clean, transparent and development-oriented NDA government.”
He also urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to initiate strict action against those involved in the Madurai land scam and uphold standards of good governance.
“The reality is that only the BJP and the NDA can provide a corruption-free, accountable administration in Tamil Nadu,” Antony said.
