"BJP politicising issue": Karnataka DyCM on Waqf land claim controversy

BENGALURU: Amid the alleged Waqf land claim controversy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated on Wednesday that no notice of eviction has been issued to farmers and that no one who has possessed property will be evicted.

The CM had earlier flagged off the 20 new Airavata Club class 2.0 buses in Bengaluru with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. "I have already made a statement. We have not issued any notice to the farmers and we are not going to evict anybody who has been in possession of the property for many years," he said.

Additionally, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of "politicising the issue," and that directions have already been given to the revenue department concerning the notices "BJP is politicising the issue (going in Vijayapura). We are not affecting the farmers. Earlier also during the BJP regime, notices were issued. We are correcting it. We have given directions to the revenue department, to the tehsildar, DC to cancel all the mutations which has been done in the RTC," he told reporters on Wednesday.

He also said that the all the land which is used by the farmers will continue to be their land and they will not be disturbed.

"This is the decision of the government and we stand by it...They (BJP) are trying to politicise the issue, we will not let that happen. We don't want to do politics, we want our farmers rights to be upheld," he added.

On Tuesday, CM Sidaramaiah had said, "No farmers will be evicted from their lands and if notices are issued to them, they will be withdrawn."

He made these remarks while responding to questions from the media regarding notices sent to farmers in Vijayapura, Yadgir, and Dharwad districts, claiming that their lands belong to the Waqf Board.

BJP alleged that Waqf's name was added to land records for 44 properties across Indi and Chadachan taluks in Vijayapura district without due notice, following a meeting between Khan and district officials. Many farmers, unaware of the sudden Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) mutations, expressed concern over losing ancestral land.

Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parmeshwara also stated that the issue is 'almost over' "The concerned department which is handling the Waqf properties, would have given the notice, I don't deny that. The CM has clarified that we have withdrawn the notices which were served to anybody for that matter," Parmeshwara told reporters in Bengaluru.

Notably, BJP MP tejasvi Surya had also written to Chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee Chair, Jagdambika Pal to call a delegation of farmers from Karnataka who have been affected by having their land allegedly being claimed as Waqf property.

Taking to his social media on X, he posted a copy of the letter and said, "Have written to the Chairperson of the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill Jagdambika Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been wrongfully served notices claiming their land as Waqf property."