Waqf Board claiming 1,200 acres from farmers in Karnataka? Vijayapura land row explained

Earlier this year, the government introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha.  

After the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs claimed ownership of land of farmers in Vijayapura district, fresh evidence showed that the Waqf board’s name was inserted in revenue records overnight, according to a News18 report.

Earlier, Karnataka Minister MB Patil clarified that the confusion over 1,200 acres in Honavada being designated as Waqf property was due to an error in the gazette notification in 1974.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Monday said the notices issued to them will be withdrawn, and the Deputy Commissioner is inquiring into the  "mistake".

What does the fresh evidence reveal?

The News18 report said that the Waqf board’s name was inserted in land records of 44 properties in Vijayapura in the last three weeks. Land records were changed without giving notices to farmers in several cases. Farmers told News18 that there was no notice or no hearing as records show that Waqf board’s name made it to Column number 11 of the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops) just two days after Karnataka Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan’s meeting with officials.

According to the fresh evidence, the RTC belonging to 41 properties in Indi Taluk and three in Chadachan Taluk were changed to mention Waqf board’s name, records show.

Apart from this, at least 433 farmers have been given notices in the last three weeks linked to 124 Survey numbers in Vijayapura District.

What is the land issue?

Farmers in Vijayapura were served notices by the Karnataka Board of Waqfs to vacate their ancestral lands on October 4. Holding their land records and registered deeds, farmers protested at the Deputy Commissioner's office in North Karnataka’s Vijaypura. They claimed that the notices were issued after Ahmed Khan visited Vijaypura.

Farmer leaders alleged that land records in Tenahalli village in Indi Taluk and Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were changed without their knowledge and marked as Waqf property.

Why did the BJP and Congress lock horns?

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya claimed farmers were served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property "with no evidence or explanation provided".

“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,” alleged Surya.

However, Khan responded to Surya’s claims and accused the opposition party of politicising the issue.

"We cannot take away anyone's land. Is it possible? Unnecessary issues are being raised. Yatnal spoke about this last week and I invited him to come to the District Collector's office for a meeting with the farmers. But he didn't turn up," he said. Khan told India Today most of the land Waqf Board possessed in Karnataka has been encroached, mainly by Muslims only.

"The BJP wants to bring in amendments to the Waqf Act and now these issues are being unnecessarily raised. We care for the farmers, and we cannot take away anyone's land," he said.

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.

Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Earlier this year, the government introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha.

It aims at bringing significant reforms, including digitization of records, stricter audits, increased transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf properties.

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 committee of Parliament.