BELAGAVI: The State Government has decided not to evict farmers cultivating land earlier notified as Waqf property and not to recover Waqf land where temples or other religious structures have come up or marked as Hindu graveyards. However, the government has taken a tough stand against encroachment or illegal occupation of Waqf land. It has stated that action will be taken to clear such encroachments.
Meanwhile, if mosques, dargahs, madrassas and Idgahs have come up on Waqf land, they would be mutated in the name of the Waqf Board. The government has decided to form a committee headed by a retired High Court judge, if necessary, to clear confusion over Waqf land.
In the Assembly on Wednesday, Minister for Waqf Zameer Ahmed Khan and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda clarified the government’s stand on clearing Waqf land encroachments.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the government’s decision and rejected the demand of BJP MLAs to withdraw the 1973 gazette notification. Byre Gowda said that of the 1.12 lakh acres notified as Waqf land in the state, the board is left with just 20,054 acres.
Around 70,000 acres are with farmers through the Inam Abolition and Land Reforms Act, and 3,100 acres have been acquired for civic amenities. So, the government has decided not to evict farmers who got land through the Inam Abolition and Land Reforms Act.The minister said that around 4,500 properties were registered as Waqf land during the BJP rule and 600 by the Siddaramaiah government. He added that encroachments on Waqf land are being cleared per the direction of the Centre.
Khan said the government has decided not to recover Waqf land on which temples, schools and graveyards have come up and will not go in search of Shivling under every masjid. This remark irked BJP members, who strongly objected to it.
Continuing his tirade against the BJP, he said compared to 5,667 notices issued during the BJP rule, his government issued only 3,286 notices. Stating that action against illegal possession of Waqf properties was taken as per the Supreme Court order and the direction of the Centre, the minister said the Centre has released Rs 5.99 crore for GPS mapping of Waqf land.
BJP MLAs opposed the reply given by Byre Gowda on behalf of Khan. They argued that when the minister was in the House, how could another minister speak on his behalf?
The CM and other ministers defended it. LoP R Ashoka sought to know whether the government would withdraw the 1973 gazette notification. The CM said it would not. Condemning the government’s stand on Waqf issue, BJP MLAs staged a walkout.