Waqf land grab row: Siddaramaiah says not issued notice to farmers, will not evict anybody, BJP reacts

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah broke silence on the alleged waqf land grab controversy and said the state government has not issued any notice to the farmers and not going to evict anybody who has been in possession of the property for many years.

"I have already made a statement. We have not issued any notice to the farmers and we are not going to evict anybody who has been in possession of the property for many years," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Tejasvi Surya on Waqf land grab row

The development comes after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday requested Jagdambika Pal, Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf amendment bill to call a delegation of farmers from Karnataka who have been affected by having their land allegedly being claimed as Waqf property.

Taking to his social media on X, he posted a copy of the letter and said, "Have written to the Chairperson of the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill Jagdambika Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been wrongfully served notices claiming their land as Waqf property."

"Requested him to invite a delegation of these farmers as witnesses before the committee and also to visit the affected areas for a public hearing to understand the scale of this issue firsthand," he said.

Zameer refutes claims of farmers getting land encroached upon

However, Zameer Ahmad Khan, Karnataka Minister for Waqf and minority affairs disputed the claims of farmers getting their land encroached upon. "I will give all the details about how many notices are been served, no one can take back the land belong to any one, specially farmers. Farmers are our feeders, how can somebody take land belong to farmers, I may be the minister, does that mean that official can convert the land belongs to farmers?"

Zameer slams BJP for using issue for election

He also criticised BJP for using this issue for elections, saying "They only take up this issue because there is elections are around. I'm not doing Waqf adalat from today, I'm doing Waqf adalat from last 11 months, we did it in Yadgiri, hubli, Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag, Karwar, Belagavi, Vijayapura. After elections are over I'll do Waqf adalt in other districts, they (BJP) don't have any issues that's why they have taken this up only for politics, as by elections are ahead, Maharastra elections they are speaking this issue now. I don't want to speak their language, I'm a pure Hindusthani indian, who's ever lives in india are Indians."

The Waqf land controversy is the latest flash point between Congress and the BJP, with the Chief Minister clarifying that no farmers will be evicted.

Shivakumar accuses BJP of politicising issue

In the meantime, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of "politicising the issue," and that directions have already been given to the revenue department concerning the notices
"BJP is politicising the issue (going in Vijayapura). We are not affecting the farmers. Earlier also during the BJP regime, notices were issued. We are correcting it. We have given directions to the revenue department, to the tehsildar, DC to cancel all the mutations which has been done in the RTC," he told reporters on Wednesday.

BJP alleged that Waqf's name was added to land records for 44 properties across Indi and Chadachan taluks in Vijayapura district without due notice, following a meeting between Khan and district officials. Many farmers, unaware of the sudden Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) mutations, expressed concern over losing ancestral land.