Karnataka CM asks officials to withdraw Waqf notices sent to farmers, warns BJP

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has bluntly told officials to withdraw notices sent to farmers concerning Waqf land, even as the BJP is set to escalate the issue by organising a statewide protest on Monday.

At a high-level meeting with officials of Revenue, Minorities Welfare Department and Waqf Board on Saturday, Siddaramaiah made it clear what he wanted. “All notices to farmers on land records related to Waqf properties must be withdrawn without any delay,” he said.

Siddaramaiah directed officials to immediately nullify any unauthorised modifications to the land records (pahani) without prior notice or legal procedure.

Expressing his displeasure over the recent developments in the Waqf land row, the chief minister instructed officials to stop troubling farmers.

Accusing the BJP-JD(S) combine of “politicising” the issue, Siddaramaiah said the two parties were jointly trying to disturb peace in the state.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil and Waqf Board CEO Jilani Mokashi were present.

‘Will release documents soon’

Siddaramaiah also sounded a warning to the BJP and the JD(S).

“When BJP’s B S Yediyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar and your (BJP’s) ally H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) were the chief ministers, lands belonging to hundreds of agricultural families were handed over to the Waqf board by changing the khata,” said Siddaramaiah. 

“We will soon release those documents. You will have to reap the fruits of your sins. Be prepared,” he warned.

Blaming the BJP’s “purely political motives” with “no genuine interest in protecting farmers’ welfare,” Siddaramaiah asked why the Opposition was protesting when the government had ordered the immediate withdrawal of notices. 

On Monday, the BJP has called for statewide protests in front of taluk offices against the “Congress government’s anti-farmer land jihad and Waqf illegalities.”