Misuse of Waqf Law in the State: MP Basavaraj Bommai

Haveri (Karnataka) [India], October 31 : Alleging the misuse of the Waqf law in the state, Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister and MP, demanded that the state government withdraw the notices issued to farmers and thoroughly examine all state records to ensure justice for farmers.
He claimed that revenue laws are being ignored to unjustly designate farmers' agricultural lands across the state as Waqf properties.
Speaking to the media in Shiggaon on Thursday, he said "The revenue law records are final when it comes to land matters. However, these are being disregarded, and judgments by the Waqf tribunal are being considered as final. In previous instances, whenever such cases were taken to court, justice was granted to the affected parties. Now, a single application is enough to declare all farmers' lands across the state as Waqf property, leading to government notices that create confusion and fear among farmers. It is height of the government's irresponsibility."
Bommai criticized deputy commissioners for rushing to act following the gazette notification, questioning their judgment and emphasizing that a comprehensive review should have been conducted first.
The MP blamed the government directly for the conflicts in villages like Kadakol in Savanoor Taluk, where, according to him, the government is disrupting the harmonious lives of rural people. The current government is pushing an agenda of appeasement since it came to power, which has disrupted communal harmony.
While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that notices to farmers would be withdrawn, Bommai pointed out that no action has been taken to implement this assurance, urging the CM to intervene directly. "How can one claim any land as Waqf property just by performing a ritual there?" Bommai questioned, citing the case of Krishna Nagar Tanda, where land was declared Waqf property. The government lacked even basic knowledge of such matters.
Responding to a question on whether the CM's actions were aimed at appeasement politics for electoral gain, Bommai claimed that the appeasement has continued regardless of election timings, adding that they are trying to leverage this in the upcoming by-elections.
On a question about Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's recent statement on power projects, he said, "The guarantees given during elections were purely for political gain, without any prior planning. Financial constraints are now a concern, with even their own MLAs complaining. The government is now forced to review these guarantees to preserve their own political standing."