WAQF Land Row: DK Shivakumar Admits Notice Error as Karnataka Farmers Observe 'Black Diwali'

Bengaluru: Following allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar admitted that notices were issued to the farmers. Speaking to the media, Shivakumar said, “We are not affecting the farmers. We have given directions to the revenue department, to the tehsildar, DC to cancel all the mutations which has been done in the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops)."

He added, "All the lands used by the farmers will continue to be their land, we will not disturb any farmers. This is the decision of the government and we stand by it. They ( BJP ) are trying to politicise the issue, we will not let that happen. We don't want to do politics, we want our farmers."

However, earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "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 made these remarks while responding to questions from the media regarding notices sent to farmers in Vijayapura, Yadgir, and Dharwad districts, claiming that their lands belong to the Waqf Board.

Meanwhile, Home Minister G Parmeshwara also stated that the issue is 'almost over'. "The concerned department which is handling the Waqf properties, would have given the notice, I don't deny that. The CM has clarified that we have withdrawn the notices which were served to anybody for that matter," Parmeshwara told reporters in Bengaluru.

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.

Amid the uproar, 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.

However, Zameer Ahmad Khan, Karnataka Minister for Waqf and minority affairs disputed the claims of farmers getting their land encroached upon.

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.