No farmer will be evicted

Bengaluru:

Following allegations by a section of farmers in Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said none of them will be evicted, and the notices issued to them were withdrawn. Will be taken.

“No farmer will be evicted from their land. Yesterday Revenue Minister (Krishna Byre Gowda), MB Patil (Minister in-charge of Industries and Vijayapura district) and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan jointly said that no farmer of Vijayapura will be evicted from his land. Farmers will not be evicted from their land,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said that if notices have been issued to farmers, they will be withdrawn.

Responding to a question on whether similar notices have been issued to farmers in Yadgir and Dharwad districts, the Chief Minister said, “I will ask the Revenue Minister to look into this, farmers will not be evicted anywhere. ” Seeking to clarify the “confusion” over 1,200 acres of land in Honwada in Tikota taluk being marked as Waqf property, MB Patil had recently said it was due to an “error” in the gazette notification.

He had also said that out of the 1,200 acres, only 11 acres is Waqf property, and a task force will be formed under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner to resolve the issues.

Meanwhile, Mr Patil earlier today accused the BJP of promoting “fake Hindu love” stance through misinformation as he claimed that notices were served to farmers in Vijayapura district by the Waqf Board between 2019 and 2022 , when the saffron party was in power.

Posting copies of notices issued during the BJP rule on 'X', Patil criticized the party for indulging in “divisive politics” instead of focusing on the development of the state during his tenure.

He said, “They (BJP) misled the people with issues like 'Hijab', 'Halal' and 'Urigowda-Nanjegowda' while in power and now they are adopting the same strategy. To deceive the public with fabricated stories. Their efforts will continue.” No work now,” the minister said.

Noting that the BJP has reconstituted its fact-finding committee on the Waqf issue, which was initially constituted by party president BY Vijayendra after facing opposition from its own leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, MB Patil said Yatnal And MP Ramesh Jigajinagi has been included. The panel's statement appears to be symbolic, indicating internal conflict within the party.

He further challenged the BJP to explain why notices were issued to farmers during its government.

Earlier in the day, Vijayendra, while speaking to reporters, attacked the ruling Congress for accusing the BJP of playing politics.

“Farmers' ancestral land is suddenly claimed as Waqf property, farmers will come on the streets, what should they do…Congress is busy appeasing the minorities and thus dividing the country in the name of religion. ” They have been doing this for a long time. They are trying to fan the flames of fire in the state under the leadership of Zameer Ahmed Khan (Waqf Minister).”

Vijayendra claimed that the minister himself admitted that notices were issued to 120 farmers.

“If the BJP had not taken the issue seriously, the farmers would have taken to the streets. After we raised the issue, they formed a task force and asked the farmers to contact the Deputy Commissioner,” he said.

The state BJP chief said that a team formed by the party under the leadership of former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol has reached Vijaypura district.

“They will visit all the taluks of the district, meet the farmers and build confidence in them. When efforts are being made to put the farmers in trouble, the BJP is with the farmers and will provide them all necessary assistance including legal aid. We do.” Stand strong with them,” he said.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi also hit out at the Congress government and Zameer Ahmed Khan and cited the Anwar Manappadi report which claimed that several Congress leaders are “making crores of rupees by using Waqf property as their assets.”

He demanded suspension of the tehsildars who issued notices to the farmers and registration of cases against the responsible officials. “Anyone can claim anything about what is happening in this country. My personal opinion is that the Waqf law should be removed, but the Modi government is bringing positive changes in it.”

JD(S) leader and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, speaking in Ramanagara, said the truth should come out about “looting of government or farmers' land” in the name of Waqf property.

“I warn the state government against looting the land of government and farmers and protecting the looters in the name of minority appeasement,” he said.