Haveri: Tension has gripped a village in Karnataka’s Haveri district after locals torched houses and buildings owned by a specific community over fears the Waqf board would take their land with a government order citing recovery of land possessed by others.
Five people were injured in the violence that broke out in the Kadkol village of Savanur taluk on Wednesday night following which around 200 police personnel and four platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) have been deployed in the village.
This comes after a similar situation occurred last week in the Tikota taluk of Vijayapura district. Farmers there too alleged that 1200 acres of land belonging to them was registered under the Waqf Board.
On October 26, hundreds of farmers protested against the revenue department, claiming they received from local tehsildars, informing that their lands had been classified as Waqf property without prior notification. The tehsildar informed the farmers that 1,200 acres of land in the Honwada village belonged to the Shah Aminuddin Dargah.
Houses ransacked,32 detained
Authorities have warned strict action against those disrupting law and order as they detained 32 people in this connection. As violence broke out, miscreants pelted stones at some houses and set ablaze a two-wheeler parked in the village on Thursday. The people accused some villagers of being involved in registering properties in the name of the Waqf board.
Political blame game
Karnataka Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan has accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy over Waqf properties, alleging the party has been misleading farmers. Addressing the recent unrest in Kadakol village, a place historically free from communal tension, he expressed deep concern and reassured farmers, saying, “There is no need to panic; we will never acquire their land.”
The issue ignited over rumours claiming that most properties surrounding a shrine in the village had been designated as Waqf assets, sparking fears they would soon be seized. However, Deputy Commissioner Vijay Mahantesh clarified that local officials, including assistant commissioners and tahsildars, have been instructed to review the property records identified by the District Waqf Board and submit a report. This does not imply that all properties in question belong to the Waqf Board, Times of India reported.
Haveri MP and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai urged the state government to immediately withdraw the notices issued to farmers and to “remove Waqf asset classification from land records”.
Meanwhile, the Haveri District Waqf Board has claimed ownership over the 20-acre Haveri District Court premises and a 19-acre Hindu burial ground in Tadas village, Shiggaon taluk.
