BENGALURU: With just hours to go for bypolls to three Assembly constituencies, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday ordered withdrawal of all notices issued by the Waqf Board, staking claim to lands of farmers and other individuals.
The order came just days after Jagadambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (amendment) bill, received over 500 petitions from farmers of North Karnataka, including Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts, complaining against Waqf Board’s ownership claims.
The chief minister directed officials to withdraw the ongoing mutation process and notices served to farmers. The letter, issued by the Revenue Department principal secretary to all deputy commissioners, also warned that the action will be taken against officers who are issuing notices to farmers despite directions from the government on November 7.
Assembly Opposition Leader R Ashoka on Saturday alleged that though the CM had claimed to have withdrawn notices to farmers, the Revenue Department on November 7 sought a report on the progress made in changing the land records. The department wanted an action taken report in 21,767 cases of changing khatas (land records), Ashoka stated and chided, “This is a U-turn government.”
BJP has turned this into a major issue ahead of the November 13 bypolls to Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur, stating that the Waqf Board has been claiming ownership of lands on which temples and graveyards are situated.
BJP, alleging that the ruling Congress is indulging in “Land Jihad”, has demanded the resignation of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, saying he was solely responsible for the Waqf Board notices to farmers, who have tilled these lands for generations.
