‘No intention of acquiring farmers land’: Ministers slam BJP’s allegtions on waqf land grab

BENGALURU: Three ministers have asserted that the Waqf Board had no intention of acquiring farmers land. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Vijayapura district in-charge Minister M B Patil accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the issue for electoral gains.

In a joint presser on Monday, the three ministers emphasised that legitimate land owners need not fear losing their land. Krishna Byre Gowda informed that Vijayapura district had 14,201.32 acres designated as Waqf land.

“Over time, 11,835.29 acres were granted to farmers under the Land Reforms Act, and 1,459.26 acres were allotted under the Inam Abolishment Act. An additional 137 acres were acquired for various projects, leaving 773 acres under Waqf’s control”, he said. He clarified that in Honavada village in Tikota taluk, which recently attracted attention, only 11 acres belong to Waqf, and no eviction notices have been issued to farmers.

Political tensions between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka are soaring amidst allegations that the Waqf Board’s name was added to property records without notification.

Krishna Byre Gowda noted that the 1974 notification mistakenly listed ‘Honavada’ in brackets following ‘Vijayapura Mahalbagayata’, but this was corrected in a 1977 notification, resolving the issue. However, he acknowledged that in Indi taluk, a tahsildar updated the land records for 41 properties without issuing prior notice, violating protocol.

“Affected farmers can now present land records predating 1974 to the Assistant Commissioner and any lands verified as legitimate will be denotified. There is no conflict between the government and farmers or between Waqf and farmers”, the minister said, attributing the recent tensions to internal BJP rivalries between Basangouda Patil Yatnal and B Y Vijayendra.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On BJP MP Tejasvi Surya’s allegations against the Waqf Board, Vijayapura district in-charge and Karnataka Minister MB Patil says, “…I held a meeting (with the farmers)…I have told the DC and other officials to give the notices and collect their (farmers’)… pic.twitter.com/WgbQolHxvk

— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2024

Minister M B Patil added that a task force led by the District Commissioner has been formed to investigate the matter, with instructions to cross-reference Waqf and revenue records from 1964 to 1973 for accuracy.

He accused the BJP of stoking confusion to influence upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The district administration has been advised to cooperate with any BJP-led fact-finding missions and provide full transparency, the minister added.

“We do not want any land owned by farmers. I am also the son of a farmer. Our goal is simply to update Waqf land records. Only 11 acres in Honavada are Waqf property, contrary to claims of 1,200 acres. Beyond these 11 acres, the rest belongs to the farmers”, said Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.

Meanwhile, the BJP alleged that Waqf’s name was added to land records for 44 properties across Indi and Chadachan taluks in Vijayapura district without due notice, following a meeting between Khan and district officials. Many farmers, unaware of the sudden Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) mutations, expressed concern over losing ancestral land.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka minister, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan says, “…The BJP is making false allegations that we are sending notices to farmers, it’s not true. We haven’t taken even one acre of land from farmers, nor we have sent any notice to farmers. Waqf board has 1 lakh 12… pic.twitter.com/zVFeyzcC84

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024

“In Vijayapura, 1,345 acres of Waqf land have been encroached upon, none of which have been officially allotted to anyone. Of this, around 26 acres are currently under legal dispute in court. The remaining 1,319 acres are in the unauthorized possession of individuals or institutions, and efforts are underway to address this issue. We are not seeking any other land in Vijayapura beyond these encroached properties”, Khan said.

Khan said that BJP’s Vijayapura MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal was invited to attend the recent Waqf Adalat in his constituency, but he was not present. “Now, he is spreading misinformation and causing unnecessary confusion”, he remarked. (ANI)