K'taka BJP to continue opposing Cong govt's Waqf policy treating Hindus as 'second-grade' citizens

Belagavi (Karnataka) (The Uttam Hindu): Karnataka BJP said on Wednesday that it will continue its fight against the Congress government's Waqf policy of seeing Hindus as second-grade citizens in the state. Speaking to media persons at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha after the walkout over the Waqf issue, Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, said that the fight against the Waqf land acquisition policy has been raised in the Assembly session and it will continue on the streets as well in future. He further said, "Withdrawing the Waqf-related notices will not solve the problem. It is merely a tactic to deceive the people. We have informed the Chief Minister that there will be no benefit unless the 1974 gazette notification issued by the state government is withdrawn. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has refused to withdraw the notification, claiming he supports Muslims."

He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of treating Hindus as second-class citizens. "Farmers are suffering, yet the Chief Minister has not spoken about withdrawing the 1974 gazette. Instead, he boasts about winning three elections," Opposition leader Ashoka said while criticising the Congress government. He added, "When our BJP government was in power, we won 18 by-elections. Does that mean we should celebrate every victory? This mismanaged government, filled with arrogance, is displacing farmers. The Chief Minister has never once spoken in favour of farmers." Opposition leader Ashoka challenged the Chief Minister's claim that the Waqf Board owns only 21,000 acres of land. "I have documents published by the Waqf board, which state that 84,000 acres of land are under dispute. Check the Waqf Board website," he challenged, saying that being under dispute means it belongs to the Waqf Board. He accused the Congress government of arrogance due to having the support of 136 MLAs and claimed it acts against the interests of farmers and Hindus. "By walking out of the Assembly, we have demonstrated to the people of the state that we stand with the farmers," Ashoka asserted. He also accused the government of supporting "land jihad" by Muslims. "In Muneshwara Nagar, Mysuru, this government is evicting 110 families. They are claiming even the land associated with M. Visvesvaraya as Waqf Board property. How can a building with 110 years of history suddenly belong to the Waqf Board?" he asked. Opposition leader Ashoka dubbed the Waqf board as a fraudulent entity that is seizing the lands of Karnataka's farmers and Hindus like a ghost. "We have fought against this in the Assembly, and this fight will not stop here. We will take the fight to the streets," he warned.