Contentious Waqf Property Claims Stir Farmer Protests in Karnataka

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya announced that Jagdambika Pal, Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, will meet with farmers in Hubballi and Vijayapura, Karnataka to address issues regarding their lands being designated as Waqf properties without proper evidence.

In a renewed effort to address the concerns of local farmers, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya confirmed on Tuesday that the Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf, Jagdambika Pal, will visit the Karnataka districts of Hubballi and Vijayapura on November 7.

This visit aims to engage with farmers who allege that their cultivated lands have been wrongfully designated as Waqf property by the Waqf Board without evidence, affecting nearly 1,500 acres in one village alone.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has since assured that no farmers will be evicted, and notices declaring their lands as Waqf properties will be withdrawn, addressing the farmers' grievances brought forward by Surya.

(With inputs from agencies.)