‘Waqf land is spreading like cancer throughout Karnataka’: Oppositon leader R Ashoka

RAMANAGARA: Opposition leader in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, on Thursday alleged that the Waqf board is seizing ‘Hindu’ lands in the state. His reaction came amid several farmers expressing their concerns about their lands being categorized as Waqf lands, causing the loss of ownership.

“Waqf land is spreading like cancer throughout the state. Waqf board is seizing Hindu lands”, Ashoka said while speaking election campaign rally in support of the Channapatna Assembly byelection NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Ashoka alleged that Congress applies one set of laws for a particular community and another for the Hindu society. “Is Karnataka part of India or Pakistan? The state Congress government applies one set of laws for a particular community and another for the Hindu society. Temples and monastery lands are being classified as Waqf property. Farmers’ lands are listed as Waqf or Dargah property in records”, he added.

Ashoka also attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking whether his greed has any limit. “Does Siddaramaiah’s greed have no limit? Why does he need 14 plots? He wants all the sites for himself. It’s truly disappointing. Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy have made significant contributions to the state, dedicating themselves to the lives of farmers. The Congress is like a storm that comes and goes, but its sins are overflowing. Who knows if it will last for even six months?” he remarked.

#WATCH | Mandya: Karnataka LoP and BJP leader R Ashoka says, ” First time in Karnataka, a CM has taken land that belongs to poor people…it is a big scandal…Siddaramaiah keeps saying that he is clean…MUDA scam is the biggest case in Karnataka history. After 15 months of… pic.twitter.com/XuoJ8mzKqV

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Member of Parliament for Mysuru and Kodagu, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, addressed the gathering, stressing the need to collectively confront the Waqf issue. “We must protect Hindu assets and stay vigilant. The Old Mysore region has always been peaceful, but the Waqf issue is disturbing this peace. We need to fight legally against Waqf’s claims”.

He demanded, “The Waqf Act needs to be amended so that the laws of the land apply equally to everyone in this community as they do to others in the country”.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill Jagdambika Pal visited and conducted a meeting with the farmers, whose land has been declared as ‘Waqf property’ in Karnataka. The JPC chairman visited Vijayapura upon a request by JPC member and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, to understand the concerns of farmers on their agricultural land being claimed by the Waqf Board.

After having an interaction with the farmers JPC chairman said that he received a memorandum from the farmers and he will present it before the JPC. “Farmers met us and gave a memorandum and said that they used to do farming on the land for centuries and they had land deeds for it but now we are getting notice from the board. So will we be submitting the memorandum before the JPC”, said Jagdambika Pal on Thursday.

In Vijayapura district, there has been a significant rise in land claims by the Waqf Board, affecting farmers’ ancestral lands, temples, government buildings, and even centrally protected monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This situation has caused severe distress among local farmers and landowners, who are witnessing their generational land rights challenged without proper notification or due process.

More than 15,000 acres in Vijayapura district alone have been claimed, including ancestral farmland vital for local farmer’s livelihoods. Over 1,500 acres of farm land across 89 survey numbers in Honavada village in Tikota taluk alone have been unilaterally claimed as Waqf property, according to a press statement.

Many farmers in Babaleshwar taluk have also received notices stating that their lands are now classified as Waqf property under the Waqf Act. Claims extend to temples and mutt lands, such as the Someshwara Temple (Chalukyan era) and Virakta Mutt (dating to the 12th century), added the statement. (ANI)