Row over Waqf Bill JPC chief’s Karnataka visit; Congress calls it ‘politically motivated’

A row has erupted in Karnataka over the visit of the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagadambika Pal to the state.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka has termed the visit a “drama company” and “politically motivated”, with an eye on the upcoming Assembly by-polls in the state and election in neighbouring Maharashtra.

500 petitions received

Pal, along with BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, also a JPC member, visited Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi, during which he met farmers and members of various organisations who complained that their lands were being claimed by the State Waqf Board.

Also read: Karnataka Waqf properties row: BJP stages protest, accuses Cong of doing 'land-jihad'

Over 500 petitions were received on Thursday (November 7) from “aggrieved” farmers in Karnataka’s northern districts, who alleged that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, according to Bengaluru South MP Surya’s office.

What Pal said

Addressing a gathering during his visit to Vijayapura, Pal said, “....what is the hurry for someone, when a transparent law (Waqf law) coming into force, to go to every district to conduct adalats (Waqf adalats) and declare the lands as Waqf properties?”.

Further highlighting various incidents and petitions submitted to him by farmers, groups and individuals, he said, the state government has to answer why such things are happening in the state.

Also read: Waqf board claims 53 ASI sites in Karnataka; ‘took over’ 43 in 2005: Report

"Why notices are being given to farmers who are cultivating the land since 1920 and 1930, even before the law is enacted?" he asked, while pointing out that farmers have claimed that apart from serving notices, changes have been made in the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), pahani and mutation registers.

Noting that the Karnataka Waqf board has laid claim to at least 53 historic Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments across the state, Pal asked, "How is it a Waqf property?"

There were allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar charges have surfaced from few other places subsequently. Similar allegations have also been made by some organisations and religious institutions like mutts.

“The complaints from farmers yesterday from Hubballi, Vijayapura, and Belagavi are very serious and grave. The kind of changes that have been made to the land record of farmers could not have been done without the collusion of the revenue authorities on instructions of the senior political leadership of the state,” Surya told news agency ANI on Friday.

Congress's reaction

Commenting on Pal’s visit, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar accused the JPC Chairman of indulging in political propaganda.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said it is not a joint parliamentary committee that is visiting, as "only BJP members have come and are doing politics."

“It is a drama company. JPC means all the members will have to come, also governments and officials have to be informed.. Only the chairman has come. He has come on party work along with another MP,” Shivakumar said.

Further, he said, “Is Bommai (MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai) a member of JPC or is V Somanna the member? Somanna is the Union Minister, he cannot be part of the JPC. He (Chairman) has come taking applications and is doing political propaganda.”

Both Bommai and Somanna had met Pal on Thursday.

'No question of taking away farmers' land'

Claiming that it was during the Bommai-led BJP government that notices were issued and records amended, Shivakumar said, “...there is no question of taking away farmers’ land or evicting them . We (Congress govt) will save farmers. Due to some technical reasons, some officials might have done something, our government will set them right and save farmers.”

“It is not a joint parliamentary committee that has come, BJP members have come there, they are doing politics, let them do politics.....they are spoiling the atmosphere, they don't want people to be in peace, so they are trying to create a problem at the time of election. People are intelligent, people will give the right answer to them,” he said.

"The Karnataka government is committed, we are going to protect the farmers of the state," he asserted.

There were allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar charges have surfaced from a few other places subsequently. Similar allegations have also been made by some organisations and religious institutions like Mutts.

With the row escalating, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials that all notices issued to farmers be immediately revoked, and any unauthorised amendments in land records without due notice must also be nullified.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “It doesn’t look like JPC as a committee is visiting, as the Chairman is visiting alone disregarding rules. It seems to be a politically motivated visit.”

Members of the committee too have raised objections stating that any visit has to be decided in the panel and "unilaterally one cannot make visits,” he said.

Owaisi too questions JPC chief's visit

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also questioned Pal's visit and “hoped” that the Lok Sabha Speaker would take note of his “behaviour”.

The Chairman cannot act unilaterally and the committee has to act collectively, he said.

“The Chairman of the Joint Working Committee on the Waqf Bill 2024 recently went to Karnataka to look into some local matter. The Committee does not have investigation powers, its job is to look into the Bill alone,” Owaisi said on X (formerly Twitter).

He said the panel had already conducted a consultation in Karnataka.

He was not in a position to explain the “questionable conduct” of Pal since the formation of the committee as he was bound by parliamentary procedures, he said.

“I hope @speakerloksabha will take notice of the Chairman’s behaviour,” the Hyderabad MP said.

Surya responded to Owaisi on X, saying he was "obviously perturbed" and defended the JPC chief's visit to Karnataka.

(With agency inputs)