Waqf dispute: JPC chief conducts ‘fact-finding’ in Karnataka, meets victims

Jagdambika Pal, chairman of Parliament’s Joint Committee on Religious Endowments (Amendment) Bill, said on Thursday that he was in Karnataka after allegations were made by a section of farmers and others in some parts of the state. Copenhagen conducts “fact-finding” and meets with those who are aggrieved. As part of his visit, he will visit Hubali, Vijayapura and Belagavi, during which he will meet farmers and members of various organizations to understand the status of land claimed by the State Waqf Board. Suriya’s office said he will be accompanied by Bengaluru South MP and junior committee member Tejasvi Suriya. “As Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, I have come to meet the aggrieved farmers whose lands are now claimed by the Waqf Board. These lands had belonged to the farmers for 50 to 70 years and suddenly, the Waqf Board claimed Own land.

Talking to reporters here, he said farmers’ organizations met him at the airport and handed over some documents to him.

“I also asked about the land that the Waqf is claiming to own – do you (farmers) have some real title or title or deed? – and they said that even the Waqf has real land owners. It is claiming ,” he said.

Pal said Suriya had narrated the “serious situation” to him and asked him to go to Hubbali in Vijayapura as the Waqf Board even claimed to own some historical monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

“…here’s the thing, the committee was set up by the Speaker (Lok Sabha) to investigate and prepare a report. We are here to find out the facts and we will meet different farmers’ organizations. The committee’s lawyers are also here Some documents were given and some documents were given to farmers as well. I came here to meet the aggrieved people. Surya had recently written to Pal drawing attention to Vijayapura region and Khanna. The plight of farmers in other nearby districts of Tak, who have received notifications claiming that their land is the property of religious organizations, he said, was apart from the notifications, registration of mutations in RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancies and Crops), Pahani and some plots. The register was also changed but due legal process was not followed.

A section of farmers in Vijayapura district alleged that their land was marked as waqf property, followed by similar allegations in several other places. Some organizations and religious institutions, including Maths, have made similar accusations.

As the dispute escalates, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials to immediately revoke all notifications issued to farmers and any unauthorized modifications made to land records without proper notification must also be voided.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has been holding protests, accusing the Congress government of condoning “land jihad”. The party also demanded the sacking of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan from his cabinet post.