The anti-Waqf protests in Karnataka has once again exposed the internal rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party. The bypoll debacle has only intensified the factional feud, where both factions have sought the intervention of the high command.
On Monday, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who is leading the rebel faction against state BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra, flagged off a month-long protest from Bidar to oppose the Waqf Board's alleged attempt to usurp farmers' land and the lands belonging to Hindu temples, schools and government buildings. The rebel BJP leaders who held a public rally in Bidar visited the two villages of Dharmapura and Chatnalli, reportedly aggrieved by the Waqf Board notices.
>> Karnataka BJP MLA Yatnal's supporters launch month-long anti-Waqf march
The state BJP had planned a three-day statewide tour by three teams headed by Vijayendra and LOPs R. Ashok and Chalavadi Narayanswamy, starting December 4. But Yatnal's open dissidence by organising a parallel protest along with former ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Arvind Limbavali, former MP Pratap Simha and Kumar Bangarappa, has left the saffron party leaders furious.
State BJP general secretary P. Rajeev admitted that the state leaders had tried their best to ''advise" Yatnal, but in vain. "Yatnal's behaviour has caused huge embarrassment to the party and we will soon complain to the high command," he said.
>> BJP stages protests in various districts of Karnataka over alleged Waqf encroachments
Incidentally, BJP’s Bidar district chief has filed a police complaint against the Yatnal faction's protest, stating that a group of people was "misusing" the the BJP symbol and banners during the waqf protests.
BJP, Congress in war of words
IT minister Priyank Kharge, citing newspaper reports, accused the previous BJP governments of issuing more number of Waqf notices to farmers than the Siddaramaiah government did.
"BJP is playing foul in the Waqf issue. The BJP government had issued (waqf board) notices to farmers. So, this BJP protest is not for the farmers, but against Vijayendra," mocked Kharge.
>> Karnataka: Allocation of 2,750 acres of govt land for Muslim burial grounds stirs row
Further, the Congress minister demanded to know why the BJP government had notified 2,865 acres of land as "waqf property" between 2019 and 2020.
As many as 1,735 farmers were given Waqf-related notices and flagged 4,720 acres as "Waqf" during the BJP rule in the state, said Kharge, adding that a committee headed by Kumara Bangarappa had given directions to update the land as waqf property in the Bhoomi (land records) app.
"Will BJP leader Bommai, who had termed waqf lands as "Allah's property" have an answer to my question? Or will BJP's A team and B team, which are embarking on separate tours, tell the truth about the waqf land to the people?," asked Kharge.
>> Karnataka: Warring BJP factions announce separate rallies against Waqf
Leader of the opposition in Assembly R. Ashok, meanwhile, alleged that the Congress leaders were misleading the people on the waqf issue.
"The BJP government had formed the Anwar Manippady committee to study the encroachment of Waqf properties and based on the committee report, notices were issued to the encroaches. If any officer has wrongly issued notices to farmers, the current Congress government is free to take action against the officers," said Ashok, adding that the same Manippady report had details of land grabbing of waqf lands by several Congress leaders.
