Dissolve Waqf board, ask Minister Zameer to resign: BJP to Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Nov 5 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP on Tuesday demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dissolve the Waqf board in the state and ask Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan to resign for "trying to grab the lands of Hindus".

Speaking to media at the party office in Bengaluru, Member of Legislative Council N. Ravi Kumar slammed the Congress government, alleging that the Waqf Board in Karnataka was targeting farmers' lands, schools, and temples, just as Aurangzeb and others who invaded the country and seized property.

He claimed that Khan had a "free hand" under the Siddaramaiah government, allowing the Waqf Board to act without accountability.

Ravi Kumar urged the Chief Minister to dissolve the Waqf Board. He sought the resignation of Khan from both his ministerial and legislative posts.

He urged that Minister Khan should be restricted from official tours within the state, questioning why the government hasn't acted even as sites in Bidar and Vijayapura districts have been declared Waqf properties.

While welcoming the recent withdrawal of notices, he questioned whether all previously claimed properties would automatically revert to Hindu ownership.

MLC Ravi Kumar pointed out that the Waqf issue persists in regions once ruled by the Nizam, and demanded a thorough investigation by a joint committee of the Assembly and Council.

He stated that nearly 47,000 acres of land had received notices, and when authorities claim errors, it mirrors excuses previously made in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Valmiki Tribal Welfare Corporation scams.

He questioned how officials could make such errors without government direction, and demanded the dismissal of those involved.

He demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should intervene and address the Waqf's alleged unchecked authority and disregard for legal standards.

--IANS

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