Waqf land row: Karnataka ministers hit back at BJP, say notices are routine | Bengaluru News

MANGALURU/VIJAYAPURA: Women and child welfare department minister Laxmi Hebbalkar Friday played down the row over waqf notices to farmers in several parts of the state, especially North Karnataka, insisting that the revenue department serving notices for encroachment of the land is a routine process.
“Law-abiding citizens face no discrimination from the govt,” Hebbalkar said. “But some individuals are deliberately spreading misinformation to mislead the public. The authorities will take stringent action against those who engage in such disruptive activities.”
On Vijayapura MLA and senior BJP functionary Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s remark that waqf properties must be nationalised, Hebbalkar said Patil “habitually” rakes up religious sentiments to win elections.
Industries minister MB Patil, who is in charge of Vijayapura district, also suggested the notices were a routine affair and called BJP a “drama company” for “performing theatrics over the issue”. He released records showing 219 such notices were issued in 2019 when BJP was at the helm. “The BJP govt registered seven cases in Bengaluru and 11 cases in Bagalkot district,” Patil said. “Union minister Pralhad Joshi, (opposition leaders) Chalavdi Narayanaswamy, R Ashoka, (MP) Govind Karjol, and BS Yediyurappa must answer for this.”
He insisted ancestral land will not be taken away from farmers.
“A task force led by the district deputy commissioner has been set up to verify records from 1930 to 1974,” he said. “Some records from this period are hand written and need to be verified. If the land belongs to farmers, it will go to farmers; if it belongs to the Waqf Board, it will go to the board; if it belongs to the govt, it will go to the govt,” Patil said.