Waqf row: Farmers & Hindus must check their land documents, says Union Minister 

Vijayapura, Oct 30 (IANS) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday asked the farmers and Hindus to check their land records and documents related to properties.

Speaking at a farmers' protest in Vijayapura city, Joshi accused Congress of betraying Hindus through vote-bank politics and Muslim appeasement. “Despite losing power for decades, Congress still fails to see reason,” he said.

He warned that the struggle against Waqf encroachments will continue and is not bound to stop.

He also gave a call for farmers and Hindus across the state to check all their records, including land, home, and farm documents, such as Pahani and mutation records, to protect their properties from encroachment.  

He alleged that the Karnataka government is aiding the Waqf Board to acquire more properties before the Central government brings about amendments to the Waqf Act.

The minister claimed that under the leadership of Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, the Karnataka Waqf Board is hastily moving to take control of properties.

He questioned whether Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was aiding this plot by fanatic forces, and he demanded the removal of Minister Zameer from the cabinet.

“Even in Islamic nations, such a Waqf Act does not exist, and it is Congress that introduced this unprecedented law in India under the guise of secularism,” he said.

He said this kind of law only exists in a few countries around the world.

“In 2013, despite BJP’s opposition, Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh granted supreme power to the Waqf Board. They have been abusing these powers since then,” he claimed.

The minister urged Congress to support the amendments aimed at rationalising Waqf Act powers and set aside vote-bank politics.

He further demanded an immediate stop to the Waqf Adalats being held in every district under Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan and insisted that the Waqf Adalat initiative should be suspended.

He also alleged that Zameer Ahmed is exerting pressure on revenue department officials across the state to register lands under Waqf during these Adalats.

He stated that specific documents must be present for a property to be registered under Waqf, including land sanction letters, donation letters, and purchase records accompanied by an official government gazette notification.

However, he claimed that many properties are being labelled as Waqf based only on government gazette notifications, lacking these other essential documents.

He called for the immediate suspension of Tehsildars and revenue officers from the Indi and Sindhagi towns of Vijayapura district. He charged that they had registered lands under Waqf without valid documentation.

He stated that although officials reference a 1974 gazette notification to justify these transfers, this is insufficient.

He urged them to follow judicial orders and conduct proper legal verification before proceeding.

He also demanded that the state government retract entries labelling properties as Waqf in Columns 9 and 11 of the Pahani records.

He insisted that these entries be removed legally and that all agricultural land records be cleared of Waqf listings.

Joshi alleged that, amid farmers noticing the Waqf listings in their land records and seeking verification, the government has deactivated the state land software for the past two days.