Amid the continued waqf land difficulty in Karnataka, State Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Saturday criticized BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for accusing the Congress of misusing the Waqf Board’s powers, accusing the BJP of politicizing the problem.
Karnataka Minority Affairs Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
This comes after farmers in Vijayapura district obtained eviction notices from the Karnataka Board of Waqfs concerning their ancestral lands.
Responding to Surya’s claims, Khan advised ANI, “The local MLAs did not attend the DC meeting, and now, after three days, they are making allegations. Waqf has 1,12,000 acres of land in Karnataka, but only 23,000 acres are under its control. This means there has been encroachment. We are addressing the issue legally… They (BJP) just need an excuse. No one can take anyone’s land. We consider farmers as God, so we cannot do injustice to them.”
What Tejasvi Surya stated
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, in a put up on X (previously Twitter), alleged that the allowance of the Waqf Board to seize public and authorities land legally has created hardship for farmers and customary individuals.
“The Waqf report itself has mentioned about the land that the influential Congress leaders have grabbed in the name of Waqf,” Tejasvi Surya wrote.
He claimed that the powers given to the Waqf board have resulted in over 15,000 acres of agricultural land belonging to farmers being claimed as Waqf land in Vijayapura district.
He additionally issued a warning, saying, “If any govt officer acts outside the law by snatching away farmers’ land or attempts to fraudulently change revenue entries, we will not spare them & initiate legal action in all possible ways. This is our assurance to the farmers.”
The Waqf Board is a governing physique liable for overseeing and managing properties designated for charitable functions in accordance with Islamic regulation.
Established below the Waqf Act of 1995, the board performs a vital function in guaranteeing that these properties are utilized successfully and profit the neighborhood. Nonetheless, points corresponding to land encroachments and disputes over possession usually come up, resulting in tensions between numerous stakeholders, together with farmers and native authorities.
(Additionally Learn: Waqf land difficulty: Karnataka Residence Minister G Parameshwara says state authorities will evaluation it)
(With ANI inputs)