Ahead of bypolls to three constituencies of Karnataka, the Waqf board row is set to gather steam in the state with both the BJP and Congress blaming each other.
The bypolls in Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon were necessitated after the legislators elected from these segments resigned after winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Why are the BJP and Congress fighting?
The two parties have locked horns over the allegations of notices being served to farmers by the Waqf Board alleging encroachment. While the issue was first raised in Vijayapura, the BJP has alleged that farmers from Kalaburagi, Bidar, and Shivamogga too have raised similar concerns.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday ordered revenue department officials to immediately withdraw notices issued to farmers concerning Waqf land claims. However, the BJP on Monday held a state-wide protest accusing the Congress government of indulging in "land jihad".
Siddaramaiah attacked the BJP for organising the protest. The CM alleged that the BJP’s motive is purely political, and it has no genuine interest in protecting the farmers. "BJP never fights on issues, they always make false allegations, they protest for the sake of politics. Where is the issue? Basavaraj Bommai (BJP MP and former CM) had earlier said every inch of Waqf property that has been encroached has to be recovered, now he is speaking against it for political reasons," Siddarmaiah said.
Bommai on Sunday called the state government's decision to retract all notices related to Waqf land issues a "distraction" done to ward off farmers' wrath during the by-elections.
"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah knows the waqf law very well. He is trying to distract the wrath of the farmers during the by-elections. Withdrawal of the notices does not serve the purpose, notice can be served at any time once again," Bommai told ANI.
What is Waqf?
Waqf refers to the properties dedicated exclusively to religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Waqf Boards currently control 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across India with an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh crore. It makes them the third largest landowner in India after the armed forces and the Indian Railways. The 1995 Waqf Act was passed to regulate 'auqaf' (assets donated and notified as Waqf) by a 'wakif' (the person who dedicates the property). The legislation was last amended in 2013.
What is the Vijaypura issue?
Farmers in Vijayapura were served notices by the Karnataka Board of Waqfs to vacate their ancestral lands on October 4. The issue began with the Waqf Adalats being held under the chairmanship of BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, Karnataka Minister for Minority Welfare and Waqf. In a meeting in Vijayapura, he said the district had over 14,000 acres of waqf land, but most of it was alienated. Officers issued 124 notices to 400 farmers and carried out around 44 mutations to enter claims by the Waqf Board. It was eventually revealed that the confusion arose due to an error in a gazette notification that designates 1,200 acres of land at Honavada in Tikota taluk of Vijayapura district as waqf property.
According to reports, in 2009, the Karnataka Waqf Board declared 43 centrally protected monuments in Vijayapura district, including historic landmarks like Gol Gumbaz, Ibrahim Rauza, and Bara Kaman, as Waqf properties. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), however, is yet to recognise the Waqf Board’s claim by amending the official land records.
Earlier this year, the Centre introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha.
The proposed Bill snowballed into a major row between the ruling BJP and Oppositions, including several Muslim organisations. It is currently being reviewed by the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
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