New Delhi, 23 June—The RSS-BJP ecosystem is coming under tremendous popular pressure as after swindling of the donations running into crore of Rupees from the coffers of at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya last week, the media exposure of the massive land scam in Ujjain by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his family has added to the woes of the ruling party at the centre as well as in the states.
While the Congress today stepped up its attack on the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over allegations surrounding chief minister Mohan Yadav’s family’s land acquisitions in Ujjain, accusing the ruling dispensation of running an “engine of plunder”, sources pointed out to growing unrest within the ruling parry as well as in the RSS.
The Congress demanded Yadav’s resignation as well as a judicial inquiry into the matter.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared on X a report published by The Indian Express, which claimed that members of Yadav’s family and their real estate firms had acquired at least 137 plots spread across 168 acres in Ujjain for Rs 45 crore in the two years since December 2023.
The acquisition allegedly took place largely in areas expected to benefit from road projects and land-use changes announced by the state government. The newspaper said these transactions did not include land deals carried out in 2026.
According to the report, 111 of the 168 acres purchased by the Yadav family since Mohan Yadav became chief minister are located near newly announced road projects or in areas where agricultural land can now be converted for residential and commercial use under the Ujjain Master Plan 2025.
The plots were allegedly bought by Yadav’s wife Seema, daughter-in-law Shalini Yadav, brothers Nandlal and Narayan Yadav, Narayan’s wife Rekha, their son Abhay Yadav, and cousins Govind and Nilesh Yadav, either directly or through four real estate companies run by the family.
In his post in Hindi on X, Ramesh wrote: “Under the BJP’s ‘double-engine’ government in Madhya Pradesh, an ‘engine of plunder’ is running at full speed.”
He alleged that Yadav himself was at the centre of this “loot”.
There is also talk that the agriculture minister — who moved from Madhya Pradesh to the Centre — is the one who orchestrated the ‘planting of stories’ against the Chief Minister,” Ramesh said, in an apparent reference to Union agriculture minister and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
“The infighting appears to be over the seat of power and a share in the spoils,” he added.
Addressing a news conference in Bhopal, state Congress president Jitu Patwari called the alleged irregularities the “loot of Mahakal land” and demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
“Facts clearly show that the BJP is involved in the theft of Ram Temple donations and the looting of Mahakal land,” Patwari said.
Calling for Yadav’s resignation on moral grounds, Patwari said the chief minister must explain how his family’s land holdings allegedly rose sharply after he assumed office.
“Media reports that have surfaced today are deeply concerning. The chief minister is not just an individual; he represents the entire state. In such a situation, if such serious allegations are made against him, it naturally harms the dignity of the state,” he told media.
“We have raised questions, and proper answers should be given. Those defending this issue should explain how someone who allegedly owned around 100 acres throughout their lifetime saw it rise to 335 acres after becoming a minister and then a chief minister. How did such massive growth happen within just one and a half years? We will raise the issue in the assembly,” Patwari said.
Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar remarked, “You’ve heard the names of the Kerala Files, Kashmir Files, Epstein Files, and now we have Mohan Yadav Files.”
“If the chief minister of the state is involved in corruption, then the ministers are bound to do the same,” he alleged.
According to Yadav’s asset declaration filed ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, the chief minister owns 17 acres through inheritance and purchases, while his wife directly owns at least 10.6 acres.
The couple also jointly hold 39.5 acres through Siddhi Vinayak Devcon Pvt Ltd, a company in which they own more than 73 per cent stake.
While the chief minister’s office did not respond to The Indian Express questionnaire, officials and people close to the family told the newspaper that linking the family’s land transactions directly to the chief minister was inappropriate, arguing that the Yadav family had been involved in the real estate business long before Mohan Yadav rose to power.
The ruling party is not responding to media queries. The BJP had not responded to the Congress’s allegations till the filing of this story.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
