BENGALURU: BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya on Monday accused the Siddaramaiah government of suppressing the Upa Lokayukta report on Waqf properties in March 2016. He urged the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to examine the report's recommendations.
The report contains details of criminal misuse, mismanagement, illegal subletting, and encroachment of Waqf properties over decades in Karnataka by those legally tasked with protecting them, the MP stated in a letter to JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal.
“I had the opportunity to review this report, which is not in the public domain. It has been deliberately made to disappear. I can confirm that the report is highly incriminating. It does not reflect well on certain individuals in politics and civil society who claim to represent the interests of the Muslim community,” Siroya said.
He alleged that the Siddaramaiah government arbitrarily withdrew its 2012 order constituting the inquiry commission under the Upa Lokayukta on the same day the report was submitted in March 2016.
“Why did the government panic and withdraw its own inquiry order? Whom was the Siddaramaiah government trying to protect in 2016? Was it because the report could implicate prominent Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah’s associates in the party and government?” he questioned.
Siroya added that the report could provide vital inputs to the JPC. He noted that the Upa Lokayukta report includes an appendix featuring submissions from all deputy commissioners in Karnataka detailing the extent of misuse of Waqf land. He emphasized that the reports from Bengaluru Urban, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru warrant special attention.