Tejasvi Surya urges JPC to invite Karnataka farmers to discuss land dispute with Waqf Board

The scale of these claims is substantial, with nearly 1,500 acres being designated as Waqf property in the village alone.

Bengaluru: BJP National Yuva Morcha President and MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday, October 30 wrote to the chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, highlighting the plight of farmers of Karnataka’s Vijayapura district.

Surya has requested Jagdambika Pal, the chairperson of the JPC to invite farmers from Vijayapura district as witnesses to discuss their land disputes with the Waqf Board.

“Have written to the chairperson of the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill, Jagdambika Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been wrongfully served notices claiming their land as Waqf property,” Surya stated.

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He alleged that, apart from the notices, changes have been made in the RTC, Pahani, and mutation registers for some of the land parcels without following due process of law.

“Recently I had the opportunity to meet a delegation of farmers from Vijayapura district, Karnataka, and other nearby areas. 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 Waqf property,” he claimed.

“This is done without any accompanying evidence or explanation,” he professed.

The scale of these claims is substantial, with nearly 1,500 acres designated as Waqf property in the village alone.

“I request you to invite the delegation of affected farmers to appear as witnesses before the JPC, as their testimony will provide valuable insights into the local implications of the proposed amendments and the pressing issues faced by the farming community in this regard.

“I also request you to visit the affected regions in Karnataka to receive complaints and grievances and have a public hearing with the farmers adversely impacted by the Waqf Board’s actions,” he urged.