No farmer will be evicted from their land: Karnataka CM on Waqf land controversy

In an effort to quell the raging controversy, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah stepped in to make it clear on Tuesday that no farmer in Vijayapura district will be evicted from their land marked as Waqf property. Further, he said that notices issued to them will be taken back.

"No farmer will be evicted from their land. Yesterday, revenue minister (Krishna Byre Gowda), MB Patil (industries and Vijayapura district in-charge minister) and Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan have jointly said that no farmer from Vijayapura will be evicted from their land," he told the media in Bengaluru.

This move comes ahead of the Karnataka bypolls as the BJP was all set to create a ruckus over the issue.

Also read: Karnataka govt blames error in gazette notification for Waqf claim on village land 

CM assures farmers

In case notices have been issued to some farmers, these will be withdrawn, added the CM.

Told that similar notices have been issued to farmers in Yadgir and Dharwad districts too, the chief minister said: "I will ask the revenue minister to look into it. Nowhere farmers will be evicted."

Meanwhile, minister for large and medium industries, MB Patil tried to douse the row by claiming that the Waqf row had cropped up due to gazette error. 

Also read: Karnataka BJP team to meet farmers served eviction notice by Waqf board 

The controversy

The farmers in Vijayapura’s Honvada village received a letter from the tehsildar on October 4, which stated that 1,500 acres of their ancestral land was being reassigned to the Waqf Board.

This raised a hue and cry in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district, with the BJP jumping in to milk the issue. Meanwhile, Congress minister Zameer Ahmed Khan clarified that of the 1.12 lakh acres previously managed by Waqf, only 23,860 acres remain under its control. He refuted claims that Waqf appropriated farmers’ land.

On the other hand, the BJP alleged that Waqf’s name was added to land records for 44 properties across Indi and Chadachan taluks in Vijayapura district without giving any notice. This happened after a meeting was held between Khan and district officials, the BJP alleged. Many farmers, unaware of the sudden Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) mutations, were concerned and anxious over losing ancestral land.

On the recent land mutations in favour of Waqf without proper notice, Congress leader MB Patil confirmed that 41 unauthorised changes had occurred in Column 11 of the Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC). Further, he added that the Deputy Commissioner (DC) has been instructed to correct these records.

Additionally, he promised action against the concerned tehsildar for allowing the changes without due notice or process.

After 1,200 acres in Honavada of Tikota taluk was marked as Waqf property, Patil had clarified that this happened due to an “error” in the gazette notification.