'Waqf's name inserted overnight': Shocking revelation in Waqf Board's claim on 1,500 acres of land in Vijayapura

The Waqf Board's name was inserted overnight in revenue records in the Vijayapura district where farmers have been asked to vacate their ancestral lands, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Monday. Not just that, Waqf Board's name was inserted in the land record of 44 properties in Vijayapura in the last three weeks, said BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya. 

The Karnataka State Board of Waqfs has claimed ownership of the land of farmers in Vijayapura. The farmers in Honvada village said they received a letter from Tehsildar on October 4, which stated that 1,500 acres of their ancestral land was being reassigned to the Waqf Board.

Karnataka Cabinet Minister MB Patil said the confusion over the Waqf Board's claim was due to an error in the gazette. Patil, who is Vijayapura's district in-charge minister, said only 11 acres out of the 1,200 acres is waqf property. This includes a burial ground covering 10 acres and 14 guntas, with an idgah, mosque, and other structures on the remaining 24 guntas. "All other land belongs to farmers, as confirmed by the local Tahsildar and District Commissioner," he said at a press conference.

However, Malviya today said that that Waqf Board's name was inserted in revenue records in Vijayapura overnight and RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops) mutation was done to include Waqf. "Land records (were) changed without giving notices to farmers in several cases, farmers in Indi Taluk left shocked," he said in a tweet. 

"No notice, no hearing, Waqf Board name makes it to Column No 11 of RTC just two days after Karnataka Minority Affairs Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan's meeting with officials," he stated, adding that RTC belonging to 41 properties in the Indi Taluk and 3 in Chadachan Taluk was changed to mention Waqf Board name.

"This apart, 433 farmers (were) given notices in last 3 weeks linked to 124 Survey numbers in Vijayapura District." Malviya said that after a row, the Congress government asked Assistant Commissioner Abid Gadyal to verify the mutations made in RTC in favour of the Waqf Board and call for records from farmers.

Earlier this month, farmers got notices by the Karnataka Board of Waqfs to vacate what they called were their ancestral land. The farmers staged a demonstration at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the district headquarter town of Vijayapura in North Karnataka bordering Maharashtra.

Holding the land records and registered land deeds, the farmers alleged that they were served notice soon after Housing and Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan visited Vijayapura and directed the Deputy Commissioner to serve notices to the farmers who were sitting on Waqf land.

Farmer leaders alleged that without bringing the matter to their notice, the land records of farmers in Tenahalli village in Indi Taluk and Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were changed and made in favour of Waqf.

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said the farmers of Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property "with no evidence or explanation provided". 

MB Patil, Minister for Commerce & Industries, denied that farmer’s land was registered as Waqf land. Surya responded to him, sharing revenue records on X. "Here are revenue records submitted to me by the farmers which clearly indicate the change in the Mutation Register and RTC. The records are from 19.10.2024. It also clearly mentions that the said changes have been effected as per DC’s directions. 
Clearly, the revenue authorities are listening to Mr. Zameer Ahmed and not Mr. Patil."