Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday directed officials to withdraw immediately all notices issued to farmers regarding Waqf land issues, saying the farmers should not be harassed in this regard.
The direction by the Chief Minister was following a high-level meeting between senior officials of the Revenue Department, Minority Welfare Department, and the Waqf Board.
He expressed strong resentment against the latest moves of some officials and said that JD-S and BJP were "using" the Waqf issue for "political gain and perhaps creating disturbance to peace" in the state.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked the public to ignore misinformation while appealing to officials to deal with the matter sensitively.
He directed officers: "All notices issued to farmers about land records in respect of Waqf properties are withdrawn forthwith."
Officers were also directed not to disturb the farmers about land in respect of which they are under possession.
He said modifications done in pahani (land records) by anyone without giving notice to anyone or legal procedure in the absence should be struck down forthwith.
Senior Karnataka BJP leader and former minister M. P. Renukacharya has released a video where the Minister for Waqf and Tourism Zameer Ahmad Khan is asking officials to reclaim Waqf properties on orders of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to the media at Davanagere, Renukacharya accused Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan of trying to shift farm and temple lands into the hands of the Waqf board "at the behest of CM Siddaramaiah". He referred to Zameer as a "religious fanatic."
In this video, Zameer Ahmad Khan is apparently said to have claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked him to go to all districts and conduct meetings to take Waqf properties back.
This is a blow to the Congress government before the bypolls scheduled for November 13.
The Karnataka BJP has decided to stage a state-wide protest on November 4. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi called for the immediate removal of Minister Zameer and an immediate stop to the Waqf Adalats.
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