Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and BJP MP, will visit Vijayapura, Karnataka, on Thursday to address farmers’ concerns over recent notices from the Waqf Board. These notices have sparked a contentious debate, as there are claims of certain farmers’ lands being Waqf property.
Pal’s decision to visit came after BJP National Youth President and MP Tejasvi Surya urged him to meet with farmers affected by what he called the Waqf Board’s “predatory actions.” During his visit, Pal plans to interact with farmers, religious groups, and concerned stakeholders, gathering their petitions to bring before the JPC.
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“The Chairman of the JPC on Waqf has agreed to my request to visit Hubballi and Vijayapura districts on November 7 to engage with farmers impacted by the Waqf’s actions. He will interact with farmer organizations and Mutts, and the petitions presented will be taken up by the JPC,” Surya said.
The issue has heightened political tensions between the ruling Congress government and the BJP in Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently announced that his government had ordered the withdrawal of Waqf Board notices issued to farmers and accused the BJP of using the matter for political gain.
“After consulting Ministers HK Patil and Krishna Byre Gowda, we instructed the Waqf Board to rescind the notices and revert land record changes,” CM Siddaramaiah stated. He also emphasized that the decision to withdraw the notices was made independently of BJP protests, adding, “As soon as we were informed, we moved to resolve it.”
Pal’s visit is expected to escalate the political discourse in Karnataka, with the Waqf property dispute drawing scrutiny from both state and national leaders.