Furore over Waqf reclamation efforts in Karnataka; BJP corners Siddaramaiah

The BJP in Karnataka has demanded the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government withdraw the 1974 gazette notification that identifies huge tracts of land as Waqf property. The saffron party which launched a statewide protest on Monday alleged that the Congress government was indulging in "minority appeasement" by trying to "usurp" lands belonging to the Hindus through the Waqf board and demanded the resignation of Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. 

The Waqf controversy was triggered last week after farmers in Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, Bagalkot and other North Karnataka districts were issued notices to part with their land claiming it belonged to the wakf. 

The reclamation efforts of the waqf began soon after Zameer Ahmed Khan hurriedly toured the state, held "waqf adalat" in every district and directed the waqf officials to issue notices as though preempting that the Centre would push for the controversial amendment to the Waqf Act in the upcoming Parliament session.

With the bypolls to three Assembly seats coming up on November 13, the Congress government issued notices to not just farmers, but temples, religious mutts, schools, cemeteries and 43 historical monuments (in Vijayapura alone). 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP calling it "divisive" and stated that he had directed the officials to withdraw all the notices given to the farmers. However, the BJP has demanded the 1974 gazette notification be withdrawn as it poses a constant threat to the landowners if the RTC (record of rights, tenancy and crop information) continues to mention it as a wakf property.

State BJP chief BY Vijayendra who led the protest in Ballari said the Prime  Minister's words had come true. "During Lok Sabha polls, Modi ji had said if Congress is voted to power, it would take over the properties of Hindus. It has come true. The Congress government in Karnataka is gifting farmers' lands to wakf. The CM claims the notices are being withdrawn. Now, what is the guarantee they won't be reissued?," said Vijayendra. 

Leader of Opposition R Ashok dubbed the move to issue notices to farmers as"land jihad" and said the proposed amendment to the Waqf laws is justified as it helps protect the lands belonging to the Hindus. 

In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah and Joint Parliamentary Committee  (to review the Wakf bill), Ashok sought immediate suspension of all Wakf board registrations in Karnataka. "The Waqf Board is quietly trying to register at least 10,000 acres in each district and this will lead to usurping ancestral properties of the farmers," claimed Ashok. 

The man in the eye of the storm, Zameer Ahmed Khan, claimed that the Waqf had 1,12,000 acres of land in Karnataka, but only 23,000 acres were now under its control. "The remaining land has been encroached. Waqf lands are donations from devout Muslims and no individual can enjoy it as it is meant for welfare activities. However, we will not claim the lands belonging to any farmer," said the minister, who had instructed the district officials to issue notices in every village. He had also asked officials to take the task seriously as he had the backing of the chief minister. 

Upset over the political backlash, Siddaramaiah claimed that the subsequent governments including the BJP government had issued notices to evict the encroachers from the Waqf lands. 

"Around 216 notices were issued during the BJP and JDS rule in the state.  The BJP is indulging in politics even after I directed the officials to withdraw the notices issued to the farmers," said the chief minister who called out BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai's "double standards" as he had cautioned the Waqf officials to reclaim the waqf land calling it as "Allah's property" during his tenure as the chief minister. 

Embarrassed over an old video footage of his speech on Waqf lands, released by the Congress, Bommai clarified that he was referring to the reclamation of the Waqf lands encroached upon by senior Congress leaders from the community.

"I had only asked the Wakf Board to reclaim the Wakf properties encroached by Congress leaders, as per the Anwar Manipaddy report. We did not issue notices to farmers. Zameer has released an old video and propagating false information.  I was addressing a Wakf event and not holding a Wakf board meeting (in the video)," said Bommai adding that the government should revoke the gazette notification related to Wakf properties that falsely mention farmers' lands as Wakf.