Amid a heated debate over land ownership by the Waqf Board, a report has emerged revealing that in 2009, the Waqf Board of Karnataka had declared 43 centrally protected monuments in Vijayapura district, including historical landmarks such as Gol Gumbaz, Ibrahim Rauza and Bara Kaman, as Waqf properties. . The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), however, has yet to recognize the Waqf Board’s claim by altering the official land records.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of exploiting the Waqf controversy for political purposes. “The BJP continued to protest even after we ordered withdrawal of notices issued to farmers on Waqf property issues,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that his government had already ordered that no decision should disturb farmers. He pointed out that the notifications were a common procedural step in past BJP-led administrations, noting that similar actions were taken by former BJP chief ministers such as BS Yediyurappa, DV Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar.

Siddaramaiah’s criticism was backed up by a video circulating of BJP leader and former minister Basavaraj Bommai, which showed him addressing the Muslim community, saying: “The Waqf property belongs to Allah and those who violated it will answer to Him”. The video, Siddaramaiah argued, illustrates the “hypocrisy” of the BJP, claiming that the party is “arousing communal sentiments” for political gains.

In response, BJP leaders including Bommai and Leader of Opposition R Ashok accused the Congress of a shift on the issue. Bommai said, “The Congress has instructed the deputy commissioners to issue these notifications,” while Ashok questioned the genuineness of the government’s motives. He claimed that the government’s withdrawal of the notifications was a “turnaround” prompted only by public outcry.

Ashok further demanded that Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan resign, while Bommai said the Congress’s withdrawal reflected an attempt to deflect from alleged maladministration. Bommai also referred to the recent controversies, labeling Siddaramaiah’s administration as a “turnaround government” and predicting political backlash.

As the political drama unfolds, Siddaramaiah reiterated his government’s commitment to empower Karnataka’s communities, expressing resolve to resist what he called the BJP’s attempts to undermine the state’s welfare programs through “smear campaigns”.

Meanwhile, BJP’s staunch opposition shows no sign of abating as it demands further clarification on Waqf properties and calls for repeal of the 1975 notification on these lands.

This comes after the recent controversy surrounding the Waqf board, where farmers from Honvada village in Vijayapura in Karnataka said they received a letter from the Tehsildar on October 4 saying that 1,500 acres of their ancestral land had been reassigned to the Board Waqf.

The BJP also alleged that the Waqf board’s name was added to the land records of 44 properties in Vijayapura without notifying the land owners.