Karnataka: BJP Holds Statewide Protests, Accuses Congress of Appeasement Over Waqf Land Issue

BJP has demanded an ordinance to protect farmers in the Waqf Land dispute.

Bengaluru: The BJP organised large-scale protests across Karnataka, accusing the Congress-led government of favouring minority communities in the ongoing Waqf land controversy in Vijayapura.

The dispute began when farmers received eviction notices following a Waqf Adalat held by Karnataka Minister for Waqf, Zameer Ahmed Khan, sparking widespread criticism and protests.

During a protest here, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan demanded that the Congress government remove Waqf land entries in land records (RTC) and reverse the 1974 Gazette notification regarding these properties.

He accused the Congress of engaging in appeasement politics to divert attention from alleged corruption, misgovernance, and lack of development. Narayan also echoed former Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai's demand for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Anwar Manippady report on Waqf irregularities.

In response, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the BJP’s allegations, accusing the party of exploiting the issue for political gain.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that the Waqf land issue is not new, noting that similar notices were sent to farmers during Bommai's tenure. He further stated that he along with ministers HK Patil and Krishna Byre Gowda, instructed officials to cancel all eviction notices affecting farmers, regardless of their religion.

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka accused Zameer Ahmed Khan of orchestrating the land notices against farmers. Ashoka expressed scepticism about the government’s commitment to cancelling the notices and called for an ordinance to protect farmers’ land.

The protests saw the participation of top BJP leaders, including former Basavaraj Bommai, former minister C.T. Ravi, Raju Gowda, C.C. Patil, former MP Pratap Sinha, and former MLA P. Rajeev, among others.