Waqf Board claimed poor farmers' land in Karnataka: Tejasvi Surya in Parliament

New Delhi: Bengaluru South BJP Lok Sabha member Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday alleged that Waqf Board had claimed thousands of acres of poor farmers land in Karnataka and several farmers committed suicide.

Participating in the debate on the consideration and passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, “In Karnataka, the Waqf Board has extended its claims even over Anubhava Mantapa, regarded as the first Parliament of spiritual democracy, established in the 12th century by the revered social reformer Basavanna. They have also laid claims on 15,000 acres of land belonging to poor farmers in Vijayapura as well as ASI protected monuments. “

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill brought by the Central Government seeks to rein in the arbitrary powers of the Waqf Board and ensure greater transparency in its functioning, he said.

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The current form of the Waqf Bill and Board has draconian power and it can declare any lands as Waqf properties.

Attacking the Congress, he said the party had introduced new clauses to appease a minority community.

"The concept of Section 40 - Waqf by User and Oral Waqf was a potent cocktail that enabled the Waqf Board to usurp any land that it wished. Those who had a problem with this were forced to go before the Waqf Tribunal. This Waqf Tribunal was a kangaroo court and its orders were final and you couldn't even go on appeal," he said.

"On top of this, you had the Limitation Act, If you are an aggrieved party, you had only one year to go before the Waqf Tribunal whose order was final but if you are the Waqf Board, you had no Limitation Act applied on you; even after 500 years, 1,000 years you could go and start a claim. This was the Frankenstein Monster that was created by the Waqf Act of 2013 where the Waqf Board was judiciary, legislature, executive all rolled in one, there was no concept of separation of powers..." he added.