Bengaluru: Upping the ante following allegations by a section of farmers in certain parts of Karnataka that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, the BJP on Monday held a state-wide protest, accusing the ruling Congress government of indulging in “land jihad.”
The opposition party also demanded the sacking of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan from the Cabinet. The BJP has decided to proceed with the protest despite Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directing officials on Saturday that all notices issued to farmers be immediately revoked and that any unauthorized amendments in land records made without due notice must also be nullified.
There were allegations from farmers in Vijayapura district that their lands had been marked as Waqf properties, with similar charges emerging from a few other locations. While BJP state President B. Y. Vijayendra led the protest in Ballari, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka participated in it at K. R. Puram in Bengaluru. Various party leaders joined the protests in different parts of the state.
On Sunday, Siddaramaiah criticized the BJP for organizing the protest, despite his directives to retract all notices sent to farmers. The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP’s motives were purely political, showing no genuine interest in protecting farmers’ welfare. He claimed that the BJP’s “true nature” is to incite communal strife for political gain, stating that this protest does not aim to safeguard farmers’ interests but instead threatens the harmony of Karnataka.
