Tejasvi Surya asks Waqf Bill JPC chief to invite Karnataka farmers as witnesses to discuss their land disputes

BJP MP from South Bangalore Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday wrote a letter to Waqf Amendment Bill JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) Chairman Jagdambika Pal requesting him to invite farmers from Karnataka's Vijayapura District as witnesses to discuss their land disputes with the Waqf Board.

Tejasvi Surya's letter.

"These farmers, who have cultivated their lands for nearly a century, maintain records dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. In recent months, however, many of them have been served notices declaring their lands as Wagf property, without any accompanying evidence or explanation," Surya said in his letter.

"The scale of these claims is substantial. with nearly 1,500 acres being designated as Waqf property in their village alone. The farmers claim that apart from being served notices, changes have been made in the RTC, pahani and mutation registers for some of the land parcels without following the due proLess of law," Surya further added.

After controversy ensued regarding the notices, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said none of the farmers will be evicted, and notices issued to them will be withdrawn.

Responding to a question that similar notices have been issued to farmers in Yadgir and Dharwad districts too, the CM said: "I will ask the Revenue Minister to look into it, nowhere farmers will be evicted."

Seeking to clarify "confusion" over 1,200 acres in Honavada of Tikota taluk being marked as Waqf property, M B Patil (Industries and Vijayapura district in-charge Minister) had recently said it was due to an “error” in the gazette notification.

With agency inputs