MP Tejasvi Surya urges JPC to hear Karnataka farmers on Waqf land claims

Bengaluru: Tejasvi Surya, MP for Bengaluru South, has urged Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Bill Chairperson Jagdambika Pal to personally hear out Karnataka farmers affected by recent Waqf Board notices.

In a formal letter, Surya appealed for a session with Vijayapura District farmers and other affected regions, where lands have allegedly been reclassified as Waqf property without proper legal process.

The request follows Surya’s recent meeting with farmers who claim that Waqf Board notices have been issued against their lands, along with administrative changes to RTC, Pahani, and mutation records in favor of the Waqf. Farmers state they have worked these lands for almost a century and possess documents dating back to the 1920s, yet nearly 1,500 acres in a single village have now been marked as Waqf property.

As a JPC member, Surya urged the committee to meet with these farmers to better understand the local impact of the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. He further requested a field visit to facilitate a public hearing, emphasizing the urgent need for a transparent review of farmers’ grievances.