Waqf Board row: Conspiracy to change name of Muneshwaranagar: R. Ashoka

Mysuru: Opposition Leader in the State Assembly R. Ashoka has said that a conspiracy is going on to change the name of Muneshwaranagar, a sub-locality of Gunduraonagar, where more than a hundred residents have been served notices by the Waqf Board, asking them to vacate their houses.

Addressing a press meet at the BJP Office in Chamarajapuram here yesterday after visiting the affected families in Muneshwaranagar and interacting with them personally, Ashoka said the Congress conspiracy has put the people in a state of worry and quandary on the fate of their properties following the notices.

“Farmers are staging protests across the State over the notices. We are with the farmers, Mutts and whoever else have got Waqf notices,” Ashoka said adding that the State BJP has urged Prime Minister Modi to intervene urgently and bring amendments to the Waqf Act at the earliest for saving farmers whose lands are targeted.

Blaming the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013 introduced when Dr. Manmohan Singh headed the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, he said the BJP has made it an issue despite CM Siddaramaiah’s statement, because the farmers are in distress and are on the streets fighting to protect their lands.

Responding to a question that the notices had also been issued to farmers during the BJP rule in the State, Ashoka alleged that Housing and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan visited every district and directed officials to issue notices to farmers.

“This Congress Government is threatening the officials to issue notices. The lands of the poor, farmers, Dalits and others are being targeted. Notices had also been issued to temples, Mutts and even schools claiming that they were Waqf properties. This is nothing but appeasement politics by the Congress,” he maintained and warned that the Government would be held responsible in case of collapse of Law and Order situation in Karnataka.

BJP delegation visits Yelwal

Later in the afternoon, the BJP delegation headed by Ashoka visited Yelwal on Hunsur Road and met several villagers who told the delegation that the RTC of a parcel of Government land had been changed as Waqf Board property.

“This parcel of land in the village was being used for Kondotsava, fairs and other such purposes during ‘Gramadevate’ (Village Deity) festival. Thus far, we had learnt that this land belonged to the Government. But now, the officials are saying that the land is Waqf Board property. This injustice should be set right,” they said adding that they would stand together in saving this land.