Sindagi Virakta Math’s 1.28 acres land taken over by Sunni Waqf Board

VIJAYAPURA: After the Vijayapura farmers’ case, records have revealed that 1.28 acres of land belonging to the Virakta Math in Sindagi belong to the Waqf board. As per the records, the land in question on Survey No. 1020 is shown as a burial ground (qabarastan).

When Siddalinga Swamy was the head of the math, the records made no such mention. In 2018-19, the records were changed to show that the land belonged to the Waqf Board.

Devotees have questioned how the land belonging to the Virakta Math, which was established in the 13th century, can belong to the waqf board. They have also expressed concern about the status of other Hindu maths in Sindagi taluk.

Following this, a large number of devotees gathered at the Math and expressed concern. The grandson of the seer Siddalinga Swamy, Guru Hiremath said, “In 2020-21, we went to the tahsildar’s office to take up some work at the math. It is then that we came to know that the land was transferred in the name of the Sunni Wakf Board. We had submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar and he had promised to set right the land records. When the math seer fell ill, we got busy with his health. Later, the land record was changed. But recently, it has been changed again”.

A team of the BJP, including party MP Govind Karjol also visited the math and condemned the move to change the land documents. Karjol said the government move is aimed at dividing communities and castes.