Surya urges JPC chief to invite K’taka farmers to discuss land dispute with Waqf Board

BJP National Yuva Morcha President and MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday wrote to the Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, highlighting the plight of farmers of Karnataka’s Vijayapura district.

Surya has requested Jagdambika Pal, the Chairperson of the JPC to invite farmers from Vijayapura district as witnesses to discuss their land disputes with the Waqf Board.

“Have written to the Chairperson of the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill, Jagdambika Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been wrongfully served notices claiming their land as Waqf property,” Surya stated.

Apart from the notices, changes have been made in the RTC, Pahani and mutation registers for some of the land parcels without following the due process of law, he alleged.

“Recently I had the opportunity to meet a delegation of farmers from Vijayapura district, Karnataka and other areas in the vicinity. These farmers, who have cultivated their lands for nearly a century, maintain records dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. In recent months, however, many of them have been served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property,” he claimed.

“This is done without any accompanying evidence or explanation,” he professed.

The scale of these claims is substantial, with nearly 1,500 acres being designated as Waqf property in the village alone.

“I request you to invite the delegation of affected farmers to appear as witnesses before the JPC, as their testimony will provide valuable insights into the local implications of the proposed amendments and the pressing issues faced by the farming community in this regard.

“I also request you to visit the affected regions in Karnataka to receive complaints and grievances and have a public hearing with the farmers adversely impacted by the Waqf Board’s actions,” he urged.