Bengaluru, Nov 4 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday released a video of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in which the former Chief Minister made a statement that he would not let the encroachment of the Waqf Board in the state and also released a copy of the BJP’s manifesto on the Waqf controversy.

The BJP manifesto stated, under the section of programmes listed for minorities, “Empower Waqf Boards in consultation with religious leaders; taking steps to remove encroachments from the unauthorised occupation of Waqf properties.”

In the video, Bommai addressing a gathering, states: “The Waqf board members are present here. It is your responsibility to protect the Waqf property. You should not compromise. If you compromise, we can’t help and God will take care of you.”

“If the property of God is looted and you turn a blind eye, you will become sinners more than those who looted the land. You are blessed to protect the property of the god. Don’t lose it. Because last year more than Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore Waqf property has been registered in private persons' names,” Bommai says.

He added that if poor people take some five to 10 feet of land for dwelling it’s fine. “Acres and acres of land are taken away. Will they give a small patch of it if you want to build a mosque there? What is this injustice? Until every inch of the Waqf land does not come back, until then the members of the Waqf board and we should not sit quietly,” Bommai states.

Siddaramaiah has shared the video with the title, this video exposes the self-deception of BJP leaders on the Waqf row.

Siddaramaiah talking to reporters on Monday in Hubballi stated that former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai has presently taken a U-turn for political reasons.

Commenting over the issue, Basavaraj Bommai clarified on Monday that when he attended a Waqf Board event, people there handed him a note stating that Congress leaders had looted the Waqf property.

“I stated that the Congress leaders have looted the properties of the Waqf Board and those properties should be recovered. Now, it is being twisted to imply that I had asked for farmers' lands to be reclaimed. How can that be possible,” he said.