Shops and traditional markets in Karnataka’s historical town of Srirangapatna remained closed on Monday following a bandh call given by farmers’ organisations and Hindu activists to protest against the inclusion of farmers’ lands as Waqf properties.
The farmers are protesting the inclusion of their lands in the Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) records as Waqf properties.
Locals alleged that the land records of more than 50 farmers in the villages of Kiranguru, Shettyhalli, Baburayanakoppalu, and Darasakuppe now show their properties as owned by the Waqf board. This development has caused panic and concern among the farming community in the region.
Although the records indicate that the properties are in the possession of the farmers, the ownership is attributed to the Waqf board. Farmers noted that whenever there is a sale deed or a loan involved, the names of the bank or relevant parties are typically mentioned in the records. However, in this case, without any such transactions, the land records have been updated showing the Waqf board as the owner.
The issue came to light when some farmers reviewed their RTC records for property sales or division purposes.
Hindu activists also alleged that several historical monuments in and around Srirangapatna, including the ‘Maddina Mane’ (armoury), have been listed as properties of the Waqf board.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Raitha Sangha, Mandya Rakshana Vedike, and other organisations have come together to protest the development and called for a voluntary bandh on Monday. Farmers planned to stage a protest with their cows and other cattle.
In response to the bandh call, local business owners and shopkeepers did not open their establishments in Srirangapatna. The town, historically significant as the former capital of the Mysuru kingdom under Tipu Sultan, witnessed widespread support for the protest.
The BJP earlier launched a statewide agitation regarding the Waqf row under the slogan “Our Land, Our Right”. Following massive protests, the Congress-led Karnataka government announced the withdrawal of notices issued to farmers by the Waqf board.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Waqf and Housing Zameer Ahmad Khan assured the House that any discrepancies in the land records would be corrected. They also stated that the Waqf board would not claim ownership of temple properties.
