Thu Nov 07 08:43:34 UTC 2024: ## Waqf Bill Sparks Outrage in Karnataka, BJP Alleges “Land Jihad”
**Hubballi, November 7, 2024:** A heated debate over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, took center stage in Hubballi today as a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) heard grievances from various stakeholders. The event, largely organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saw a barrage of accusations against the Karnataka government, with allegations of “land jihad” and misuse of the Waqf Board.
Former minister Govind Karjol, leading the BJP’s fact-finding committee on the waqf issue in Vijayapura, alleged that the process of changing land records under the Waqf Board was initiated by Waqf Minister B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan on the instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Karjol claimed that the committee found evidence of historical sites, including a 12th century mutt and a Chalukya temple, being wrongly classified as waqf properties.
Advocates, farmers, and members of Hindu organizations joined the chorus of complaints, echoing similar allegations of unauthorized land seizures and mutations. Mohammed Jaffar Tahsildar, a resident of Haveri district, claimed his 1.11 acre farmland was taken by force and demanded the abolition of the Waqf Board.
The JPC chairman, Jagdambika Pal, assured the delegations that their representations would be considered by the committee, while Deputy Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Arvind Bellad urged the JPC to stop the alleged “land jihad” by the Congress government.
The meeting, attended by former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, several BJP legislators, and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, highlighted the intense public scrutiny surrounding the proposed amendment to the Waqf Act. The JPC is now expected to thoroughly examine the allegations and determine the validity of the complaints.
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