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Land grab controversy: Waqf Board accused of illegal land claims in Karnataka

In Karnataka’s Vijayapura district, controversy has erupted over alleged land grabs by the Waqf Board. Over the past three weeks, the Waqf Board’s name was reportedly added to land records for 44 properties in Vijayapura without notice to landowners, said BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya.
According to Malviya, this move, which included updating the record of rights, tenancy, and crops (RTC), happened shortly after Minority Affairs Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s meeting with officials. Properties in a couple of Vijayapura taluks, identified as Indi and Chadachan, were affected, leaving farmers shocked.
The farmers in Honvada village said they received a letter from the Tehsildar on October 4, which stated that 1,500 acres of their ancestral land was being reassigned to the Waqf Board.
The sudden RTC mutations in Vijayapura appear to bypass the usual procedural steps, as farmers in affected areas report they were not notified or given a chance for a hearing. Farmers in Indi Taluk expressed shock as their land records were altered without any formal notice or hearing, a clear departure from standard procedure. As farmer protests mounted, they called for answers, pointing out that notices typically precede any RTC modification.
Further, Malviya said that 433 farmers across Vijayapura received notices linked to 124 survey numbers, deepening the controversy around land allocations involving the Waqf board.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Cabinet Minister MB Patil claimed there was a confusion surrounding the Waqf Board’s land claim and attributed it to a gazette error. He clarified that only 11 of the 1,200 acres in question are Waqf property, including a burial ground, a mosque, and a praying ground covering a little over 10 acres.
“All other land belongs to farmers, as confirmed by the local Tahsildar and District Commissioner,” Patil clarified during a press briefing.
The state government has directed Assistant Commissioner Abid Gadyal to review all recent changes to land records that list the Waqf board as a stakeholder. Gadyal is tasked with verifying the legitimacy of the changes and contacting affected farmers to discuss their concerns.
Additionally, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government confirmed that the Indi Taluk Tehsildar had altered the records without notice, prompting the AC to file a suo moto case to correct the changes made.
Earlier this month, farmers received eviction notices from the Karnataka Board of Waqfs for what they claim as their ancestral land. In response, they organised a protest at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Vijayapura, a district headquarters in North Karnataka bordering Maharashtra.
Holding the land records and registered deeds, the farmers contended that the notices were issued shortly after Housing and Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan visited the area, instructing the Deputy Commissioner to notify farmers occupying Waqf land.
Farmer leaders claimed that land records for Tenahalli village in Indi Taluk and Honvada village in Tikota Taluk were altered without any notification to them, favouring Waqf interests.

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