JPC Chairman's visit over Waqf row is politically motivated, says Karnataka Deputy CM

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday termed the visit of the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagadambika Pal to the state as a tour of a “drama company” and “politically motivated”, with an eye on the upcoming Assembly by-polls in the state and election in neighbouring Maharashtra.

Charging the JPC Chairman with indulging in political propaganda, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, said it is not a joint parliamentary committee that is visiting, as “only BJP members have come and are doing politics.” Pal is visiting Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi, during which he will meet farmers and members of various organisations regarding their lands being claimed by the State Waqf Board. Bengaluru South MP and JPC member Tejasvi Surya is accompanying him.

“It is a drama company. JPC means all the members will have to come, also governments and officials have to be informed.. Only the chairman has come. He has come on party work along with another MP,” Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said: “Is Bommai (MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai) a member of JPC or is V Somanna the member? Somanna is the union minister, he cannot be part of the JPC. He (Chairman) has come taking applications and is doing political propaganda.” Both Bommai and Somanna had met Pal earlier in the day.

Claiming that it was during the Bommai-led BJP government that notices were issued and records amended, Shivakumar said, “…there is no question of taking away farmers’ land or evicting them . We (Cong govt) will save farmers. Due to some technical reasons, some officials might have done something, our government will set them right and save farmers.” “It is not a joint parliamentary committee that has come, BJP members have come there, they are doing politics, let them do politics…..they are spoiling the atmosphere, they don’t want people to be in peace, so they are trying to create a problem at the time of election. People are intelligent, people will give the right answer to them,” he said.

“The Karnataka government is committed, we are going to protect the farmers of the state,” he asserted.

There were allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar charges have surfaced from a few other places subsequently. Similar allegations have also been made by some organisations and religious institutions like Mutts.

With the row escalating, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials that all notices issued to farmers be immediately revoked, and any unauthorised amendments in land records without due notice must also be nullified.

Home Minister G Parameshwara too said, “it doesn’t look like JPC as a committee is visiting, as the Chairman is visiting alone disregarding rules. It seems to be a politically motivated visit.” Members of the committee too have raised objections stating that any visit has to be decided in the panel and “unilaterally one cannot make visits,” he said.