Various groups led by farmers and BJP leaders have lodged complaints with the president of the JPC, Hubballi-based Muslim Waqf

Former minister Govind Karjol (second from right) submits to Jagdambika Pal (second from left), chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the Religious Endowments (Amendment) Bill in Hubballi Report of the BJP Fact-Finding Committee on Vijayapura Religious Endowment Issue November 7, 2024. Photo credit: KIRAN BAKALE

Members of various delegations, led mainly by BJP legislators and leaders, on November 7 submitted representations to the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing Jagdambika Pal’s Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Hubballi, Complaints were made about the sudden change of personal and communal properties being converted into waqf properties in various districts of northern Karnataka.

At an event that appeared to be organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress MP and JPC member Tejaswi Surya briefed the delegations on the background of the meeting and asked them to submit representations to the JPC chairman, who will look into it .

The first submission made by the BJP’s fact-finding committee on the issue of waqf in Vijayapura was submitted by former minister Govind Karjol, who claimed that the change in the name of the waqf board The process was directed by Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on the instructions of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Mr Kajol said the fact-finding committee visited the affected areas and met farmers. They found that the Sindhagi mutt, a 12th-century mutt belonging to the Chalukyan period temple, was one of the properties mentioned in the land records as the property of a religious and communal organization.

Advocate Mr. Gilali, a member of the committee, said the mutations were changed without any notification, citing old orders of the Waqf Board. He claimed that the mutation was changed on the verbal order of the deputy commissioner.

After receiving their representations, Mr. Jagdambika Pal said he would submit them to the JPC and summon them to appear before the committee for hearing.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Arvind Bellad issued a statement claiming that the property was declared a religious and communal organization asset without any valid documents. He urged the JPC chairman to stop the Congress government’s “land jihad”.

President Sri Rama Sene Pramod Mutalik submitted a representation regarding the declaration of 240 houses in Belagavi district as properties of waqfs. Ravindranath Doddameti expressed the dissatisfaction of 200 farmers whose 774 acres of agricultural land was declared as waqf property.

Those who submitted the memorandum include a delegation of advocates from Haveli district, farmers from Upinabhattagri and Gallagher and members of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike.

Mohammed Jaffar Tahsildar of Belagalpet in Haveli district alleged that the Waqf Board had forcibly taken away 1.11 acres of his farmland and demanded the abolition of the Waqf. Farmers from Gadag, Haveli, Belagavi, Dharwad submitted memorandums. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP MPs Mahesh Tenginakai, MR Patil and others led the farmers and affected people in submitting the memorandum.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy was present.