Karnataka BJP alleged on Monday that the Congress government was doing 'land jihad' in the state through the Waqf board.
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka speaking to media said through the Waqf Board, the Congress government is executing land jihad by trying to capture 15,000 acres of farmland belonging to farmers in Vijayapura district in the name of Waqf.
"Despite the conspiracy to take away 15,000 acres of land from farmers in Vijayapura district, neither Chief Minister Siddaramaiah nor Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has bothered to address the issue and spoken in favour of the farmers, leave alone giving any assurance, said Ashoka.
That brought to mind the LoP's point, the next day: "The issue of Waqf property is of a kind which resembles a form of land jihad. Appeasement politics and vote bank strategies of the Congress may not stop at farmers' land but might one day allocate the whole state in the name of Waqf for Muslims. How surprised no one will be about that.
Meanwhile, the State BJP has formed a team under the instructions of State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra which is visiting various parts of the Vijayapura district on Tuesday to take complaints from the farmers in view of the various problems emanating from the Waqf Board Act.
The five-member team includes former Dy CM and BJP MP Govind Karjol, MLAs Harish Poonja, Mahesh Tenginakayi, former MLC Arun Shahpura, and State Raitha Morcha General Secretary Kalmarudappa.
Amid the raging row over the Waqf board land, in-charge minister for Vijayapura district, and Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil on Saturday clarified that confusion over 1,200 acres in Honavada, Tikota taluk, Vijayapura district being declared as Waqf property is owing to an error in the gazette.
Meanwhile, Home Minister G. Parameshwara has assured that the issue of giving notice to farmers claiming the ownership of their land to the Waqf Board will be reviewed.
Minister for Waqf and Housing B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan has also clarified that there is no need to panic as the board can't claim property without any authority.
State BJP chief Vijayendra said one such betrayal and injustice given by the Congress government to the Hindu majority is the Waqf Act. If the government doesn't stop its anti-Hindu and anti-farmer activities right away, the BJP will be coming forward to fight for justice," he added.
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