Waqf row: K’taka LoP claims farmers’ land rights under threat, raises alarm over RTC entries

Bengaluru, June 29 (IANS) The politically sensitive Waqf land controversy has resurfaced in Karnataka, with senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly R. Ashoka accusing the Congress government of endangering land rights of farmers by allegedly recording Waqf-related entries in land records across the state.

In a strongly-worded statement issued on Monday, Ashoka alleged that the Congress government’s “appeasement politics” has reached a stage where it is threatening the very existence of farmers. He claimed that reports indicating Waqf references being entered in Column 11 of Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC) documents have triggered widespread concern among lakhs of farmers.

Calling it “not merely a matter of record alteration, but a question of ownership, livelihood and the future of farmers,” Ashoka demanded an immediate explanation from the state government.

According to the BJP leader, more than 1.80 lakh RTCs have already been marked with Waqf-related entries, while the process is reportedly being extended to nearly three lakh land records. He further claimed that farmers in all 31 districts of Karnataka could potentially be affected.

Ashoka cited district-wise figures to underline what he described as the seriousness of the issue.

According to him, Karwar accounts for around 73,000 RTCs, followed by Mangaluru with 48,000, Shivamogga with 38,000, Bengaluru South with 18,000, Kalaburagi with 17,000 and Bagalkote with another 17,000 RTCs carrying such references.

Addressing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ashoka said that if the reports are incorrect, the government should immediately place the facts before the people. However, if such entries have indeed been made in farmers’ RTCs, he said the government must answer why farmers are being pushed into uncertainty over their own land.

Questioning the government’s intentions, Ashoka asked whether farmers would now face difficulties in selling their land, obtaining bank loans or exercising ownership rights due to these entries. He also accused the Congress government of prioritising appeasement politics over the welfare of farmers.

“The farmer feeds the nation. Making the same farmer stand before government offices to prove ownership of his own land will invite the curse of the annadata,” he said.

Demanding immediate intervention, the Leader of Opposition urged the state government to halt the entire process, review all Waqf-related entries made in RTCs and release a White Paper detailing the issue before the public.

“As far as farmers’ land is concerned, there can be no compromise. If anyone casts an eye on the land belonging to farmers, the people of Karnataka will give a fitting reply,” Ashoka asserted.

The Waqf land issue has triggered widespread political controversy in Karnataka in recent years, with the BJP repeatedly alleging that farmers’ lands were being claimed under Waqf records, while the Congress government has maintained that no farmer’s ownership rights would be affected and that any discrepancies would be examined in accordance with the law. Ashoka’s latest remarks have once again brought the contentious issue back to the centre of Karnataka’s political scenario.

–IANS

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