Congress demands SC judge probe into Ujjain land deal linked to MP CM Yadav
Synopsis
Congress has demanded a Supreme Court judge-led probe into the alleged transfer of ₹500 crore worth of government land in Ujjain for just ₹1, while also accusing MP CM Mohan Yadav's family of acquiring 168 acres — including 111 acres tied to Simhastha Kumbh zones — after he took office. The BJP says every transaction is legal and documented. The political battle over Ujjain's land is only getting started.
Key Takeaways
Congress demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into alleged land deals in Ujjain linked to MP CM Mohan Yadav on 24 June .
MP Congress President Jitu Patwari alleged government land worth ₹500 crore was allotted to a trust for just ₹1 .
Congress earlier alleged Yadav's family acquired nearly 168 acres in Ujjain after he became CM, including 111 acres in Simhastha Kumbh -linked areas.
BJP's Hemant Khandelwal stated CM Yadav's landholdings remain unchanged at 17 acres since his nomination filing, calling all transactions legal.
Congress also alleged acquisitions were made in areas set to benefit from Ujjain Master Plan-2035 development projects.
The political storm over alleged land transactions connected to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his family intensified on Wednesday, 24 June, as the Indian National Congress (INC) escalated its offensive, demanding a judicial inquiry led by a sitting Supreme Court judge into what it termed a 'massive land grab' in Ujjain.
Key Allegations by Congress
At a press conference in New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari alleged that government land valued at nearly ₹500 crore had been allotted to a trust headed by one Shri Ram, described as the cultural advisor to Chief Minister Yadav, for a token sum of just ₹1. Patwari called the transaction deeply suspicious and demanded a public explanation from the state government.
'Government land worth around ₹500 crore was handed over for ₹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 episode was part of a broader pattern of questionable land-related decisions under the current administration.
These fresh allegations follow earlier claims by the Congress that Yadav and members of his family had acquired nearly 168 acres of land in and around Ujjain after he assumed office as Chief Minister — including approximately 111 acres in areas linked to preparations for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh. The opposition has further alleged that several of these acquisitions were in locations expected to benefit from development projects proposed under Ujjain's Master Plan-2035.
Congress Widens Attack, Invokes Adarsh Parallel
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 those involved. Khera remarked, 'Sangham Sharnam Gachchhami', implying that the alleged beneficiaries enjoyed the protection of the Sangh. He further alleged that the BJP had betrayed public religious faith, characterising the Chief Minister's family's land purchases in the sacred city of Ujjain as a form of insider trading, given their prior knowledge of planned development projects.
Khera drew a pointed comparison with the Congress's own decision to remove Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra Chief Minister following allegations involving the Adarsh Housing Society, questioning why the BJP had remained silent in the present case. He also rejected attempts to introduce an OBC angle into the controversy, saying wrongdoing could not be justified by community identity.
Patwari pressed the BJP further, noting that more than 30 hours after news reports on the land purchases were published, neither the party nor the state government had initiated legal action against the newspaper or filed a defamation case — which he argued was telling.
BJP Rejects Allegations, Cites Official Records
The BJP dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal stated that there had been no increase in the landholdings of Chief Minister Yadav or his immediate family since 2023. He clarified that Yadav had declared ownership of 17 acres of land at the time of filing his election nomination and continues to hold the same amount. The landholdings of his wife, Seema Yadav, and his son were also described as unchanged.
Khandelwal added that Yadav had resigned from the Siddhivinayak firm in 2017, though the firm held 68 acres of land as of 2023, and that his daughter-in-law, Shalini Yadav, had purchased 10 acres of agricultural land before the master plan was finalised. '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.
What This Means for Madhya Pradesh Politics
The escalating row has sharpened political fault lines ahead of what is expected to be a sustained Congress campaign. The opposition has signalled that the Ujjain land controversy is merely the opening salvo in a series of disclosures it intends to pursue, while the BJP insists the charges are unfounded and designed solely to malign Chief Minister Yadav. With the Simhastha Kumbh and Master Plan-2035 projects set to reshape Ujjain's landscape, the land-use decisions made in recent years are likely to remain under scrutiny for months ahead.
Point of View
If substantiated, is the more damaging charge: it is specific, quantifiable, and involves a named trust head, making it harder to deflect with character attacks. The BJP's response — citing unchanged nomination-era landholdings — does not directly address the trust transaction or the Simhastha Kumbh adjacency claims, which is a notable gap. In Madhya Pradesh, where land politics around religious development zones carry deep electoral weight, the Congress appears to be betting that the Ujjain framing — sacred city, insider knowledge, public land — will resonate beyond the party faithful.
NationPress
24 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ujjain land controversy involving MP CM Mohan Yadav?
The controversy centres on two sets of allegations: first, that government land worth nearly ₹500 crore in Ujjain was transferred to a trust for just ₹1; and second, that CM Yadav's family purchased around 168 acres of land in and around Ujjain after he assumed office, including 111 acres in areas linked to Simhastha Kumbh preparations and Master Plan-2035 development zones. The BJP denies both sets of charges.
What has Congress demanded in response to the Ujjain land row?
Congress has demanded a judicial probe led by a sitting Supreme Court judge. MP Congress President Jitu Patwari and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera made the demand at a press conference in New Delhi on 24 June, calling the transactions a 'massive land grab'.
How has the BJP responded to the land allegations?
MP BJP President Hemant Khandelwal rejected the allegations as politically motivated, stating that CM Yadav's landholdings remain unchanged at 17 acres since he filed his election nomination. He said all transactions are legal and supported by official documents, and that Yadav resigned from the Siddhivinayak firm in 2017.
What is the significance of the Simhastha Kumbh connection in the land row?
Congress alleges that approximately 111 of the 168 acres acquired by the CM's family are in areas earmarked for Simhastha Kumbh preparations and Ujjain's Master Plan-2035 development projects. The opposition argues this constitutes insider trading, as the family allegedly had advance knowledge of which areas would benefit from state-funded development.
What is the Adarsh Housing Society comparison made by Congress?
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera drew a parallel with the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Maharashtra, where Congress itself removed Chief Minister Ashok Chavan after allegations surfaced. Khera questioned why the BJP, which criticised Congress then, has not taken similar action against CM Yadav now.
