ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers in India's Madhya Pradesh state have alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's chief minister, Mohan Yadav, used his position to enrich his family through a massive land acquisition scheme, according to news reports in the Indian media.
The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, says that Modi-aligned Yadav and his relatives acquired at least 137 plots totaling 168 acres in the city of Ujjain for approximately $4.76 million within two years of taking office in December 2023, The Indian Express reported.
On Monday, Jitu Patwari, president of Congress’s local chapter, demanded Yadav's resignation. According to a report in The Hindu, he characterized the acquisition as the theft of public-interest land. Patwari said that the family's real estate holdings expanded from roughly 100 acres to 335 acres after Yadav assumed the post of chief minister.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said the purchases targeted areas specifically designated for major infrastructure projects in Ujjain's official development plan through 2035. ETV Bharat reported that of the 168 acres purchased, 111 acres are located in zones designated for a major international pilgrimage event scheduled for 2028.
Opposition lawmakers argue this timing suggests advance knowledge of development plans, allowing the family to buy property before values surged.
"Chief Minister Mohan Yadav knew about these master plans and government projects," Khera told the media at Congress party headquarters in New Delhi, as covered by NDTV. "He let his family grow its land bank ahead of announced development."
Khera pressed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct federal anti-corruption agencies to investigate. "PM Modi, why have the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate not acted against the MP chief minister?" he asked, referencing India's equivalent of the FBI and federal financial crime authorities.
Patwari said that a typical individual cannot accumulate 335 acres of prime real estate in 18 months without inside knowledge of the government, the Hindustan Times reported. Congress demanded a public explanation, which the ruling BJP has not provided.
Government records indicate that the purchased parcels were positively impacted by announced road projects and zoning changes that transformed agricultural land into residential and commercial areas. Reports from The Indian Express reveal that individuals owning property in these targeted zones experienced significant increases in property values. This pattern suggests a systematic exploitation of insider information.
Congress demanded an independent judicial inquiry led by a sitting judge of a national court. Patwari posed direct questions during the press conference: Did Yadav's family purchase land after he became chief minister? Were significant holdings acquired in areas where development projects were subsequently announced? Would the government release project timelines publicly? Would Yadav release a comprehensive land acquisition report?
The ruling party's silence fueled opposition outrage. "The entire BJP machinery is involved in this corruption," Patwari declared, as reported by ETV Bharat.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal called it a 253-acre land scam and demanded a federal investigation, according to NDTV's coverage. The party signaled it would escalate the issue in the state legislative assembly.
Government spokesperson Hemant Khandelwal responded that Yadav owns 17 acres, as recorded in his official 2023 electoral disclosure, which has remained unchanged through 2026, according to The Hindu. As per Khandelwal's statement, Yadav's wife holds 12.29 acres, similarly unchanged.
“The chief minister's son held 16 acres before 2023 with no increase," he said. "A daughter-in-law purchased 10 acres in 2025 outside designated development zones.”
The defense contradicted documented evidence showing concentrated acquisition precisely in areas receiving announced infrastructure investment, as reported by The Indian Express.
Congress signaled this remains a developing political firestorm likely to dominate state legislative debates.
