Waqf land issue: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara says state government will review it

Meanwhile, in Vijayapura in North Karnataka bordering Maharashtra, the farmers staged a demonstration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Published on: Oct 26, 2024, 15:23:38 IST

PTIPosted by Anagha Shrikant Deshpande

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Amid protests by farmers in Vijayapura who have been served notices by the Karnataka Board of Waqfs to vacate their ancestral land, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said the state government will review the situation.

Karnataka home minister Parameshwara. (PTI)

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We will review it. The state government and the revenue department will review it. A decision will be taken based on old records."

When asked that the Waqf Board had set a deadline to vacate the land, the minister said that is not a problem.

Meanwhile, in the district headquarter town of Vijayapura in North Karnataka bordering Maharashtra, the farmers staged a demonstration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Holding the land records and registered land deeds, the farmers alleged that they were served notice soon after Housing and Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan visited Vijayapura and directed the Deputy Commissioner to serve notices to the farmers who were sitting on Waqf land.

(Also Read: 'Why not in Kannada?' Bangalore sign board in San Francisco sparks reactions)

Farmer leaders alleged that without bringing the matter to their notice, the land records of farmers in Tenahalli village in Indi Taluk and Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were changed and made in favour of Waqf.

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday said the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs has claimed its ownership over 1,500 acres of ancestral land of farmers in Honvada village.

Surya, who is also Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president, said the farmers of Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property "with no evidence or explanation provided".

"In recent months, farmers from the Vijayapura district have been served notices declaring their lands as waqf property, with no evidence or explanation provided. The extent of these claims is staggering, with nearly 1,500 acres claimed in a single village of Honvada," the BJP leader said.

He alleged, "Khan recently visited and directed the deputy commissioner and revenue officials to register lands in favour of the Waqf Board within 15 days, with the aim to circumventing the reforms being brought in by PM Narendra Modi-led government through the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024."

(Also Read: Karnataka surpasses Delhi as 2nd largest direct tax contributor in FY24: Report)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande
Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More

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