Chikkaballapur, Nov 20 (IANS): Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar are turning Karnataka into Pakistan with their policies.
“As long as this government is in power, this situation will persist. We lead a strong fight in the Karnataka Assembly in the winter session demanding the abolition of the Waqf board. Waqf Board is cancer spreading uncontrollably. I vow to lead a strong fight in the assembly against it and demand its abolition, ensuring this issue would not be ignored,” he said while addressing a protest rally in Chikkaballapur town organised by the BJP over the Waqf row alongside BJP MP K. Sudhakar.
He added that the Waqf Board is seizing lands and properties, adding that Muslims who demanded a separate nation were given Pakistan.
“Despite this, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that Muslims have the first right over this land. We cannot accept such statements. The incidents such as the construction of a burial ground near the Hanuman temple in Kolar and the alleged inclusion of a historic school attended by famous personality late Sir M. Visvesvaraya as the Waqf property are examples. The Waqf Board is functioning with separate laws. There are separate sets of laws for Hindus. The Congress party has brought the plight of Hindus to this level,” he claimed.
He said that the Waqf Board is indulged in fabricating old documents to claim ownership of properties and the Congress government is supporting these activities.
"While Hindus must run around government offices to protect their land, Waqf claims properties overnight. If we don't raise awareness, our temples will vanish. Even in the Srirangapatna town of Mandya district, temple lands have been marked as Waqf property. People must check their land records to ensure accuracy," he said.
He claimed that the Congress leaders, including Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, are deliberately adding lands to the Waqf list while ordinary people struggle to get housing plots, the Chief Minister has seized 14 plots himself.
“This government is depriving Hindus of their rights. PM Modi is working on bringing a new bill to end the menace of the Waqf Board. The attempts of the Waqf Board to register farmers and the Hindu properties is land jihad operation targeting temples, schools, and farmland,” he said.