Waqf row: JPC Chairman in Karnataka on 'fact finding', to meet aggrieved persons

Hubballi: The Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal on Thursday said he is in Karnataka for "fact finding" and to meet those aggrieved, following allegations by a section of farmers and others in certain parts of the state that their lands were marked as Waqf properties.

He will visit Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi as part of his visit, during which he will meet farmers and members of various organisations regarding their lands being claimed by the State Waqf Board.

He will be accompanied by Bengaluru South MP and JPC member Tejasvi Surya during the visit, Surya's office said.

"As the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee I have come to meet aggrieved farmers, whose land now the Waqf board is claiming. The land belonged to farmers for 50-70 years, (which) all of a sudden Waqf board is claiming. They (farmers) are agitating," Pal said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said farmers' organisations have met him at the airport and have handed over some papers to him.

"I have also inquired whether the land that is claimed by the Waqf board -- do you (farmers) have some bonafide title or ownership or deeds? -- they are saying that there are bonafide owners of the land, even then the Waqf board is claiming," he said.

Pal said Surya had told him about the "grave situation" and requested him to come to Hubballi, Vijayapura, as the Waqf board has even claimed some historical monuments protected by the Archeological survey of India.

"...this is the issue, the committee has been constituted by the Honorable Speaker (of Lok Sabha) to inquire and to prepare the report. We have come here for fact finding, we will meet different farmers' organisations. Lawyers of the district have also come and given papers, also farmers, I have received some papers. I'm here to meet those who are aggrieved," he said.

Surya had recently written to Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been served notices claiming their land as Waqf property.

Apart from the notices, changes have been made in the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), pahani and mutation registers for some of the land parcels without following the due process of law, he had said.

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 Maths.

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.

The opposition BJP has been holding protests, accusing the Congress government of indulging in "land jihad". The party has also demanded the sacking of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan from the Cabinet.