Change the bed of Hindu temples, Hindu graves in government waqf property and keep them as Hindu heritage

Revenue Minister Krishna Bire Gowda announced in the Legislative Assembly that the government has decided to issue a khat for Hindu temples, Hindu temples, saying the BJP was involved in a “misleading campaign” on the issue of waqf properties for political gain. Rudrabhoomi(Graves) in the name of the respective temples and tombs, even if they are situated on waqf property.

Mr. Gowda said on Wednesday that the government will also issue khat in the name of the school for the schools which are under waqf property. Now the government will register everything newspaperMosques, Idgahs, Madrasas, and Dargahs as waqf properties.

‘Let’s not disturb the farmer’

The Minister said that under the Land Reforms Act, it has been decided not to disturb the farmers who were given waqf land and the farmers who got the reward land back. However, the government will take all necessary steps to protect the waqf property encroached by private individuals, he said, ‘in the case of waqf property, 85 percent of encroachers are Muslims.

The minister said the total extent of waqf properties in the state which have been donated over decades is 1.12 lakh acres. A total of 47,263 acres were destroyed after the Bounty Abolition Act. An additional 23,620 acres of land was lost after the Land Reform Act.

After that, an additional 3,101 acres of land was acquired over the years for public purposes including irrigation projects. Of that, only 20 thousand 54 acres were left with the Waqf Board. Due to various reasons, the waqf property has decreased by 73 thousand acres. “Out of the rest, more than 17,000 acres have been encroached,” he said.

Mr. Gowda said that the BJP has tried to create division among people by spreading false and misleading information in the notification issued regarding encroachment of Waqf land. The opposition party’s motive was to gain political advantage, though the BJP also issued notices and changed letters while in power, he said.

Wakf property rules have a history since the British period. The rulers of Mysuru also made rules for handling properties, he said. The central government also introduced a law for property monitoring. In 2016, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs framed Model Waqf Rules.

By making rules, the Center gave instructions to remove the encroachments. Based on that, the state government issued a notice to remove the encroachment. The BJP had also promised to remove encroachments in its manifesto in 2014,” the minister said.

Mr. Gowda said that since 2004, the government has issued khata on 9,400 properties in the name of Waqf. 9,124 Muslims and 2,800 Hindus have been affected by the change in the account. “Facts show that more than 85% of waqf properties have been encroached upon by Muslims. The BJP has misled the public into thinking that Muslims are grabbing the property of Hindus in the name of Waqf,” he alleged.

The minister said that the government is working to protect not only the waqf property but also the Mujrai temple. In 2023, the government had issued khat in the name of Hindu temples on 5 thousand 402 acres and again in 2024, khat was issued on 5 thousand 287 acres in the name of Hindu temples.

BJP controversy

Earlier, Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan had given his response on the matter. He reiterated that the Waqf Board will not touch the properties of Hindu temples and cultivated by farmers.

When the revenue minister stood up to give his statement on the matter, opposition leaders R Ashok and others said that only Khan should give a statement.

They have also demanded the government to withdraw the notification issued in the gazette regarding waqf property. The chief minister intervened to say that the waqf properties were being protected as per the Central Act and the state government had no right to take them back. BJP members staged a walkout protesting the statement.