Police case against Hindu farmers for tilling land claimed by Waqf Board in Karnataka.

Hindu farmers face legal action for tilting their ancestral lands now claimed by Waqf Board in Karnataka’s Thimmasandra village.

B Upendran | HENB | Chikkaballapura (Karnataka)| Nov 15, 2024:: Tensions are running high in Thimmasandra village, Karnataka, after farmers tilled their ancestral cultivation land now claimed by the Waqf Board, prompting the Karnataka Police to file a complaint against them. The situation escalated into heated arguments between farmers and Waqf Board supporters, necessitating police intervention to restore order.

The conflict revolves around the Waqf Board’s claims to substantial tracts of agricultural land, which farmers contend they have legitimate ownership rights to. This dispute has been simmering, with farmers facing legal challenges and law enforcement interference due to the Waqf Board’s assertions.

Tensions are running high in Thimmasandra village, Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka, after a land dispute between farmers and the Waqf Board escalated. The situation prompted Chikkaballapura SP Kushal Chouksey and Additional SP Kasim Raja to rush to the scene, ensuring additional police personnel were deployed to maintain order.

At the heart of the dispute is a plot of land claimed by the Jamia mosque leaders, who have fenced the property and erected a signboard asserting ownership. The Waqf Board also asserts possession, citing a court order in their favor.

However, villagers Nagesh, Sriram Reddy, Ramaiah and others claiming the ownership of the land and disputing the land records showing the ownership of the disputed land as Waqf property, started tilling the land with a tractor. Upon seeing this, Muslim youth gathered at the spot and questioned farmers. As the tension escalated, the team of police headed by DySP rushed to the spot getting such news and dispersed the crowd promptly. The police have asked the two groups to submit property documents.

The Waqf board members have filed a complaint against farmers in connection with the incident. Sources stated that the police have filed an FIR against farmers under the BNS Sections 324 (4) and 329 (3). However, the official statement is yet to be made regarding the incident.

Sources stated that the records of agricultural lands belonging to more than 10 farmers of the village in the survey numbers 13/1 (2.21 acres), 13/3 (20 guntas), survey number 20 (1.36 acres) are being shown as property of the Waqf. The farmers are enraged by this development and a tense situation exists in the village.

Shailendra Beldale, a BJP MLA from Bidar South, has announced plans to lead a ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ agitation in protest of the Waqf Board’s claims to thousands of acres of land in Bidar district. He’s calling for amendments to the current Waqf law, citing concerns that it’s being used to unjustly acquire land from farmers, historical memorials, government hospitals, and even entire villages.

Sources say that, the Waqf Board has made some significant claims in only Bidar, Karnataka, stating that 13,295 acres of land belong to them. This includes historical sites, tourist spots, government hospitals, and fertile agricultural lands, which are already reflected in the land records as Waqf Board property . To support their claim, the Waqf Board has submitted documents to the district authorities, highlighting the presence of 2,747 institutes and 3,882 Waqf properties in the district. Such claims of Waqf over the lands owned by Hindus in whole of Kranataka  are beyond any imagination.

This move of Waqf has raised concerns among local farmers and common citizens, who have received notices and seen changes in land records. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has falsely assured them that they will not face eviction.
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__Inputs from IANS and P Guru.