Anti-Waqf march not ‘against individuals’: BJP MLA Yatnal

Bengaluru/Belagavi (K’taka): Senior BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Sunday said his anti-Waqf march is not directed at any individual but is a fight for farmers, ‘Sanatana Dharma’, and Hindus.

MLA Yatnal, along with senior BJP leaders such as Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli, Arvind Limbavali, and Madhu Bangarappa, launched a month-long ‘anti-Waqf’ march from Bidar in north Karnataka to Chamarajanagar in the southern part of the state.

The agitation, which began on November 25, will continue until December 25 and is aimed at opposing eviction notices issued to some farmers and institutions by the Waqf Board, which claims rights over their land.

The BJP leader, known for his strong criticism of former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, his son and BJP state president BY Vijayendra, and their ‘dynastic politics,’ clarified that he had no vested interests in the matter.

“My agitation is not for vested interests. We are not doing this to remove a president or make someone CM. Our fight is for the farmers, Sanatan Dharma, and you. It will continue even if we have to sacrifice our lives,” Yatnal said, addressing a gathering in Belagavi.

The firebrand BJP leader’s remarks came amid criticism from the Vijayendra camp, which demanded his expulsion from the party for alleged anti-party activities, as the state unit had not granted permission for the march.

Yatnal rejected the claim that his agitation was “politically motivated” and asked, “With whom do I have an adjustment? The ruling Congress shut down my sugar factory worth Rs 850 crore in the most backward region of Karnataka. They have filed 42 cases against me. Is that adjustment?”

He also refuted allegations of being a ‘Congress agent,’ saying he had never approached Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.

Yatnal reminded Yediyurappa that Srimant Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, and Mahesh Kumathalli were key figures in ‘Operation Lotus’ in 2019, which brought the BJP government to power by toppling the Congress-JD(S) coalition. Claiming that an attempt by the Vijayendra camp to disrupt the agitation was underway, Yatnal warned that such a move would have serious consequences.

“They want to operate on us, but we are the top doctors in Karnataka... We know everything about your nervous system. We are silent because our fight is to sensitise people on the Waqf issue,” he said. Yatnal also announced that the public meeting in Davangere would be a grand show of strength and urged people to come in large numbers.

He promised to raise the Waqf issue during the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka Assembly in Belagavi. Reacting to the ongoing ‘anti-Waqf agitation,’ Vijayendra criticised Yatnal and his team.

“Some of our leaders, with their vested interests, are speaking absurdly against seasoned leader Yediyurappa, and some are trying to use Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to shoot from Vijayapura. This will not benefit the party,” he told media. Vijayendra, the MLA for Shikaripura, stated that the BJP’s defeat in all three assembly bypolls had deeply hurt party workers.

“The bypoll results call for unity in the party to face the ruling Congress. Some people, however, fail to understand that and think abusing Yediyurappa and me is their religious duty,” he added. Vijayendra further claimed that his rivals were under the illusion that criticising him and his father would lead to a higher post.

In response, Yatnal told reporters, “I did not speak a word against Yediyurappa or his family. I only spoke against the Waqf. Is it wrong to speak against the Waqf? Why would I speak against them? Don’t I have other work?” Asked about some BJP leaders calling for his expulsion, Yatnal dismissed the idea, saying, “Are they saying they will expel me? Nothing will happen. I will emerge as number one.”