Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday accused the Waqf Board of encroaching on thousands of acres of farmers’ lands with the support of the Karnataka government.
Speaking to ANI, Surya stated, “There have been multiple press conferences and videos in the public domain where the Minister himself has admitted that these Waqf adalats are being conducted under the Chief Minister’s instructions. This is a grave matter, where thousands of acres of farmers’ lands are being encroached upon by the Waqf Board with the active support and collusion of the State Government.”
He mentioned that, in recent days, farmers from various districts across Karnataka have reported that, without prior notice, ownership of their lands has been abruptly transferred to the Waqf Board.
“Over the last few days, farmers from many districts across Karnataka have been raising alarms that, without any notice from revenue authorities or adherence to due legal processes, changes have been made to their land records, RTCs, mutation registers, and other documents. Ownership has, in many cases, been suddenly transferred to the Waqf, causing serious panic among thousands of farmers across the state,” he told ANI.
Surya also noted that he had informed the Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which is currently working on amendments to the Waqf Act, through a formal letter.
“As a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee working on amendments to the Waqf Act, it is my duty to bring this matter to the Chairperson’s attention. I have done so through this letter and have also spoken directly with the Chairperson, requesting a visit to Karnataka to assess the gravity, scope, and seriousness of the issue. This will help the committee better understand the current law’s misuse, enabling us to propose effective amendments to the Waqf Act,” he said.
The Chairperson of the committee has assured him of a visit to Karnataka in the coming days to meet with affected farmers, he added.