Waqf row: Karnataka BJP to hold statewide protest today

Bengaluru, Nov 4 : The BJP will hold a protest on Monday in Karnataka demanding the withdrawal of the 1974 Waqf property gazette notification and calling for an investigation by central agencies into the alleged misuse of authority by the government.

They will also demand the resignation of Minority Welfare Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan over alleged land transfer controversies, in the protest on Monday.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday at the BJP office in Bengaluru, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA, C.N. Ashwath Narayan announced that the party would organise a statewide protest on November 4 to press its demands.

The party is seeking an investigation by the ED and CBI into the alleged creation of false records in the Karnataka Waqf Board for monetary gain.

According to the BJP, the records created over the last 50 years were now being used for minority appeasement and vote-bank politics. The BJP is demanding that all records created under this act be investigated by the CBI and ED.

“Farmers, monasteries, and Hindu temples are reportedly concerned about the misuse of the Waqf Act originally enacted by Congress for minority appeasement,” Ashwath Narayan stated.

He stated that this has led to fears among farmers that they might lose their lands. He urged that merely withdrawing notices is insufficient and demanded that farmers' names be restored in property records and that the 1974 gazette notification be repealed.

On Saturday, addressing the Waqf row, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah issued a strict directive to officials to immediately retract all notices sent to farmers concerning Waqf land issues, emphasising that no disturbances should be caused to the farmers.

The directive followed a high-level meeting involving senior officials from the Revenue Department, Minority Welfare Department, and the Waqf Board.

CM Siddaramaiah expressed strong dissatisfaction over recent actions taken by certain officials and highlighted that the JD(S) and BJP were allegedly using the Waqf issue for political gain, potentially disturbing peace in Karnataka.