Bengaluru, Nov 22 For the second day running, the Karnataka BJP on Friday staged a statewide protest condemning the government’s alleged move to notify land of farmers as Waqf property.
The BJP staged a protest before the offices of Deputy Commissioners at district headquarters.
The BJP leaders are vehemently demanding that the state government cancel a 1974 Gazette notification in this regard.
The agitators are also demanding scrapping of the Waqf Board and the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan.
The BJP MLAs, MLCs, MPs gathered in the premises of Freedom Park and staged a protest under the leadership of Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and slammed the state government.
MLA T.S. Srivatsa led the protest in Mysuru and hundreds of party workers and farmers staged the protest under the leadership of former MP Pratap Simha in Kodagu.
Former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh led the agitation in Mandya.
This was the first time that Sumalatha took part in the party’s programme after the Lok Sabha elections.
State President B.Y. Vijayendra claimed, “The Congress government in Karnataka is issuing notices to farmers claiming the ownership of their lands to the Waqf Board and pushing them on the streets overnight.”
In the first week of December, three teams formed by the BJP will travel across the state and record the grievances of farmers.
“The state government is attempting to snatch away the lands belonging to temples as well,” Vijayendra alleged and added that the teams would comprise all senior leaders of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the police have taken Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik into custody while staging a protest march to the office of Zameer Ahmad Khan in Bengaluru.
Muthalik along with Hindu activists was planning to lay siege to Zameer’s office over the Waqf row.
The police stopped Muthalik and requested him to submit the memorandum by reaching the minister’s office in a vehicle. However, Muthalik refused to go with the police and continued his footmarch. The police took him into custody following arguments.
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