Karnataka Land Dispute: BJP Questions Waqf Board's Claims

BJP's Tejasvi Surya has raised concerns over the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs claiming ownership of 1,500 acres of ancestral farmland in Honvada, North Karnataka. Surya accuses Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan of fast-tracking land registration without evidence, potentially harming local farmers' rights and livelihoods.

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya has spotlighted a contentious land issue in North Karnataka, accusing the State Board of Waqfs of snapping up 1,500 acres of farmland in Honvada, Vijayapura district. Surya asserts that these land designations were executed with no evidence, threatening local farmers' ancestral rights and livelihoods.

According to Surya, Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan has pressured local officials to register these lands as Waqf property, supposedly bypassing legal reforms proposed by the Modi administration's Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Surya criticized these actions as heavily skewed against the farmers, depriving them of natural justice and ownership rights.

Surya further condemned historical legislation, including the 1955 and 2013 Waqf Acts, for granting excessive powers to Waqf Boards. He argued that these laws not only rob citizens of legal recourse in civil courts but ultimately prioritize Waqf Tribunal decisions, highlighting a troubling dynamic for property owners.

(With inputs from agencies.)