Amid Waqf row, Karnataka govt warns officials over ‘unlawful’ transfers of land

The Karnataka government has issued a directive cautioning officials against unauthorised adjustments to land mutation records and issuing eviction notices to farmers under the Waqf Act.

In a letter to regional and district-level commissioners, revenue department principal secretary Rajender Kumar Kataria informed the regional commissioners and deputy commissioners in the districts about chief minister Siddaramaiah’s instruction to protect farmers cultivating these lands.

The letter was after a meeting convened by chief minister Siddaramaiah to address complaints that properties in certain areas had been transferred to the Karnataka Board of Waqfs without due process.

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In his directive dated November 9, Kataria stated, “The officials who served reminder-2 despite the chief minister’s direction will face appropriate disciplinary action.” He said that all previous directions altering mutation records and eviction notices related to these lands have been rescinded. It added that all the notices served in the past have also been withdrawn and no action should be taken against the farmers who are cultivating on the said land.

Some farmers in Honwad village in Vijayapura in north Karnataka had alleged last month that they were served eviction notices as the Waqf Board claimed rights over it.

Siddaramaiah’s intervention was prompted by numerous petitions from farmers across northern Karnataka who allege that their lands were marked as Waqf properties. Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal, visited Hubballi, Vijayapura, and Belagavi districts, accompanied by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, to address these concerns and speak with affected landowners.

In response to criticism from the BJP, minister Priyank Kharge said, “Not our government, but even during the BJP government, the notices of Waqf that were issued have all been stopped and asked to withdraw... CM has assured that the agriculture that is being done by farmers will be given protection; such an order has been issued... The BJP is doing politics; during their regime, did they shut the Waqf board?”

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The political tension intensified as the BJP accused the Congress government of stifling voices supporting farmers.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra said, “The government led by CM Siddaramaiah and the Karnataka Congress, aiming to convert Karnataka’s land into Waqf property, is targeting those who raise their voice for farmers by filing false complaints to intimidate them.” Vijayendra also criticised the government for what he called “divisive politics,” claiming that “the hidden agenda of filing FIRs is to scare farmers.”

BJP Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya became the centre of the dispute after an FIR was filed against him by the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) police in Haveri district for allegedly spreading misinformation. Surya had shared a social media post based on a media report, suggesting that a farmer had taken his life eight years prior, allegedly after the Waqf Board claimed ownership of his land.

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Responding to the FIR, BJP leaders argued that this action signals the Congress government’s prioritisation of the Waqf Board’s interests over farmers’ welfare. Vijayendra added, “Our farmers, already burdened by debt, will be driven to an even more distressing state if they are forced to give up their land, their sole source of livelihood, to Waqf authorities.” He expressed concerns that the dispute could exacerbate farmers’ financial hardships and mental stress, noting that “until this government, which is using the Waqf issue to create unrest in the state, is removed, Karnataka will have no peace.”

With PTI inputs