Old video of Former Karnataka CM Bommai on protecting Waqf land goes viral

The video shows Bommai speaking in Kannada and Hindi at an event, stressing the need to reclaim every inch of encroached Waqf land. “Compromise nahi hona. Agar compromise kiya to hum kuch nahi kar sakte. Uparwala dekhta rehta hai. Jo khuda ka property wo loot gaye aur aap aankh band karke baith gaye, to lootne wale se zyada aap mujrim ho jate hai,” (You should not compromise on this. If you compromise, then we cannot do anything. The Almighty is watching. If you close your eyes while someone loots God’s property, you become more of a criminal than the looter) Bommai is heard saying.

He continues, mentioning that over Rs 2,000 crore worth of Waqf property had already been encroached.

“Until every inch of Waqf land is reclaimed, you should not stay quiet, and we, too, will not remain silent. This is our Waqf property that we are demanding back. You begin, and we will support you,” he said, further mentioning that insiders were behind the encroachments.

While the Congress leaders have pointed at this video alleging BJP’s ‘double standard,’ some BJP sympathizers to were seen expressing their anger at Bommai’s comments.

Recently, Karnataka has seen heated political debate around the Waqf issue, with the BJP criticizing the Congress government for issuing notices to farmers regarding alleged Waqf-owned lands, while Congress points to the BJP for initiating this process.

With his video becoming viral, Bommai clarified that he had asked the Waqf Board to reclaim properties encroached upon by Congress leaders, based on findings in the Anwar Manippady report, not lands belonging to farmers.

Speaking to the media in Hubballi, he explained, “Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed is spreading false propaganda by releasing an old video of mine, claiming that I had directed the Waqf Board to seize farmers' lands. I was speaking at a Waqf event, not at any Waqf Board meeting. My comments were based on the Anwar Manippady committee’s report, which details how prominent Congress leaders have allegedly encroached upon Waqf properties. We have not issued any notices to farmers or seized their land.”

Bommai urged Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan to focus on reclaiming Waqf properties encroached upon by Congress leaders before issuing notice to farmers.

He also criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recent directive to withdraw notices sent to farmers as an eyewash questioning what guarantee there is that notices would not be reissued after elections. Instead, he suggested that the government should cancel the gazette notification concerning Waqf properties if they genuinely care about farmers' welfare.

“During our tenure, any notices issued were related to properties in the name of certain individuals misusing Muslim property titles. We did not issue any notices to farmers," Bommai added.