Waqf row: More notices were issued during erstwhile BJP regime, says Home Minister

He says notices were issued to farmers by a committee led by Kumar Bangarappa with respect to 2,900 acres during erstwhile BJP regime as against 300 acres by Siddaramaiah government

The Congress leaders on Monday launched a counter-attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for raking up the issue of notices to farmers on waqf properties and said that more notices were issued during the erstwhile BJP regime than now.

Seeking to turn the tables on the BJP, which is set to launch a campaign, the Congress leaders maintained that the notices were issued with respect to 2,900 acres during the BJP regime, by a committee led by BJP leader Kumar Bangarappa, compared to the notices issued for about 300 acres by the current government.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was only seeking publicity, and that the Congress would be benefitted if they protested. “The BJP is raising the issue to mask its own shortcomings. In Channapatna, when I enquired about applications for rectification in RTC, it was found that the changes were made in 2020 when the BJP was in power,” he added.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara also said that the BJP’s mask had slipped and it was now a fact that the more notices were during the BJP rule than now.

“The truth in the waqf issue has come out. More notices were issued during the tenure of former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai. The committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Bangarappa had issued notices to evict farmers with respect to 2,900 acres. During Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure, notices have been issued to farmers for about 300 acres,” the Home Minister told presspersons here.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok said that the BJP government had issued notices to those who encroached upon waqf land based on a report by a committee headed by Anwar Manippady. “The committee had exposed several Congress leaders who had encroached upon waqf land and later sold them. The BJP government had issued the notices in light of that report. Let the Congress government take action against officials if the notices had been wrongly issued. The Congress government is issuing notice to poor farmers,” Mr. Ashok said.

He also accused the government of misleading people on the waqf issue by lying about developments and alleging that more farmers got the notices during the BJP rule.

Published - November 26, 2024 07:00 am IST