Amid row over ‘waqf properties’, House panel chief visits Karnataka, Cong calls it ‘drama, party work’

The sojourn comes amid a contention implicit notices by the gross authorities to farmers implicit occupancy of onshore identified arsenic “waqf properties”. Vijayapura territory medication issued 124 notices successful each implicit assorted properties owned by the Karnataka State Board for Auqaf, oregon the waqf board, but nether the possession of 433 people. The notices were sent aft a ‘waqf adalat (hearing)’ was held connected October 10.

Amid protests by the BJP and the enactment escalating, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials that each notices issued to farmers beryllium instantly revoked, and immoderate unauthorised amendments successful onshore records without owed announcement indispensable besides beryllium nullified. The BJP alleged that the notices were portion of “land jihad” with the enactment of the authorities government. The Congress countered by pointing retired that akin notices were issued during the past CM Basavaraj Bommai’s tenure.

After gathering farmers successful Vijayapura, Pal told reporters, “I privation to guarantee you that you volition beryllium invited to Delhi for a elaborate hearing. I americium not capable to conscionable idiosyncratic delegations contiguous and I would similar the MPs (of the BJP successful Karnataka) to represent a mates of delegations that tin travel to Delhi… they volition beryllium capable to conscionable each 31 members of the JPC who are from antithetic parties.”

He added that authorities officials similar the Revenue Secretary volition besides beryllium consulted connected the waqf contented successful Karnataka.

However, his sojourn triggered beardown reactions from Congress with Deputy CM D K Shivakumar saying, “They person staged a drama. The JPC indispensable person accountability. When they are visiting a state, they indispensable pass the authorities and the officials indispensable beryllium informed. Just 1 committee subordinate cannot transportation retired the JPC’s function. The president of the committee has travel for enactment enactment on with an MP who is simply a subordinate of the JPC.”

“When the BJP government, headed by Bommai was successful power, they issued akin notices successful Dharwad and staked assertion for land. This has happened successful different places arsenic well. The CM has said the notices volition beryllium withdrawn. There is nary question of taking implicit the onshore of immoderate husbandman successful Karnataka, which has besides been stated by the Revenue Minister,” helium said.

In a station connected X, AIMIM main Asaduddin Owaisi said: “The Chairman of the Joint Working Committee connected the Waqf Bill 2024 precocious went to Karnataka to look into immoderate section matter. The Committee does not person probe powers, its occupation is to look into the Bill alone. Moreover the Chairman cannot enactment unilaterally & the Committee has to enactment collectively. We had already conducted a consultation successful Karnataka. We are bound by parliamentary process truthful we aren’t successful a presumption to explicate the questionable behaviour of the Chairman since the enactment of the Committee.”

Responding to the disapproval implicit his visit, Pal said, “Owaisi is simply a subordinate (of the JPC) and Sanjay Singh too. There are members from each parties and they are asking wherefore I person travel to Karnataka connected my own. In Karnataka, since the JPC was constituted 2 months ago, the fig of notices issued implicit Wakf onshore to farmers and others has accrued by 38%,” Pal said.