BELAGAVI: Both Houses witnessed heated debates on the Waqf issue and the demand to increase reservations for the Panchamasali Lingayat community on Monday.
As soon as the session began, MLAs from the ruling and opposition parties traded accusations and blamed each other over the demand for increasing reservations for Panchamasalis, Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader adjourned the House for an hour.
The Upper House also witnessed noisy scenes during the debate on the demand for more quotas for Panchamasalis. Chairman Basavaraj Horatti adjourned the House temporarily as his efforts to pacify the irate members failed. Given the first day’s developments, both Houses are likely to witness heated debates on Tuesday as well.
According to sources in the BJP, their legislators are prepared to target the ruling Congress over the Waqf issue when it comes up for discussion, particularly in the Lower House.
In the Council, the discussion on the Waqf issue was allowed under Rule 68 after opposition members appealed to Horatti, stating that many landowners, particularly farmers, had been affected by the Waqf Board’s notices claiming rights over their lands.
Leader of Opposition in the Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, claimed that landowners, especially farmers, were living in fear of losing their lands. He alleged that the problem started when the then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave unchecked powers to the Waqf Boards.
Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad countered this claim, stating that the law was initially framed during British rule in 1913 and came into force in 1923. “Don’t mislead people by suggesting the Act was formulated by the Congress government,” he said.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Priyank Kharge accused BJP legislators of spreading false information on the Waqf issue. Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and Kharge, along with other Congress MLCs, presented documents showing that several notices had been issued to farmers and other landowners by the Waqf Board during the BJP's rule.
The House descended into chaos when BJP MLC C.T. Ravi alleged that the UPA government had amended the Waqf Act, granting unchecked powers to the Waqf Boards.
Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad raised a point of order, objecting to Ravi's statement and asserting that no such amendment was made by the UPA government. Congress MLCs Abdul Jabbar and Nasir Ahmed challenged Ravi, stating they would resign if he proved his claim. "If you don’t prove it, you should resign," Nasir told Ravi.
Deputy Chairperson M.K. Pranesh attempted to restore order but was unsuccessful. Eventually, the House was adjourned for the day.