Vijaypura: Union Minister and BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje has alleged that the Congress-led Karnataka government is targeting farmers' land in Waqf dispute.
She said that protests are being held by the BJP in Vijaypura under "Sanvidhan Bachao" (Save Constitution) banner to confront the alleged move to encroach farmers’ plots and notify new land as Waqf property. Karandlaje, who has been leading these protests here, has accused the government of issuing notices to farmers with the intention of acquiring their plots and then transferring those to Waqf.
She further alleged that ever since Zameer Ahmed Khan became Waqf minister, 'Waqf adalats' are being organised across the districts in Karnataka and farmers are slapped with notices. In Vijaypura alone, notices have been issued for 16,000 acre, including plots surrounding offices of the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, Karandlaje said.
To address the situation, the BJP leadership formally requested the JPC chairman to meet farmers and hear their grievances, Karandlaje said.
However, Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan dismissed Karandlaje’s allegations, as “baseless and misleading.” He assured that the Karnataka government has already withdrawn all notices, emphasising that "no farmer will be evicted in any way." Khan has accused the BJP of creating confusion and spreading false propaganda for its own political gain.
The minister further termed JPC chairman's visit 'unauthorised' and "politically motivated", "It is an illegal visit aimed at fueling political tensions ahead of the by-polls. The JPC was constituted to review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, not to investigate Waqf issues involving farmers. If the Central government sincerely wants to address this issue, it should establish a separate committee for that purpose, not misuse the JPC,” he added.
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