Karnataka Law Minister Promises Withdrawal of Waqf Notices Issued to Farmers

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil has announced the withdrawal of notices issued to farmers in Vijayapura, where certain lands were mistakenly designated as Waqf property

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil has announced the withdrawal of notices issued to farmers in Vijayapura, where certain lands were mistakenly designated as Waqf property. The issue arose when farmers discovered their lands were marked as Waqf assets, leading to complaints about potential land conversions. Patil assured farmers that the government has no intention of converting agricultural lands into Waqf properties, emphasizing that any error would be rectified and appropriate action would be taken against responsible officials. He explained that the Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner is investigating the matter and will work to resolve the issue within a few days. Bangalore South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya met with Vijayapura farmers affected by the erroneous notifications, criticizing the Congress government for creating confusion.

Industries Minister M.B. Patil clarified that the incident in Honavada, Tikota Taluk, stemmed from a gazette notification error, which mistakenly labelled 1,200 acres as Waqf property. However, only 11 acres were Waqf land, and a Deputy Commissioner-led task force would be formed to prevent similar issues. M.B. Patil’s statement has attempted to address and conclude the controversy. However, he acknowledged that the BJP may wish to continue pursuing the issue for political purposes. Law Minister H.K. Patil further addressed BJP’s calls for the resignation of Waqf Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, asserting that responsibility lies with local officials rather than senior government ministers, stated, “It is not right to demand resignation for an error made by a village accountant or Tahsildar.”