Stop rise of another Pak in India: K'taka BJP MLA Yatnal on Waqf land

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal stated on Friday that he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the objective of preventing the rise of another Pakistan from India.

Speaking to reporters in Vijayapura, MLA Yatnal while talking about his letter to PM Modi, stated that all Waqf properties should be taken over by the government.

“Waqf properties should be used for the welfare of poorer sections of all faiths. If not, the properties of farmers, mutts and temples and whole villages are claimed as Waqf properties. If it continues, the whole country will face a great crisis in future,” Yatnal stated.

Commenting on Yatnal’s letter to PM Modi, Karnataka Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar stated that he won’t make comments on the actions of a person with mental health issues.

“I don’t want to talk about people who are mad. They have to be hospitalised and their brains have to be treated,” Dy CM Shivakumar stated.

Earlier, in his letter to the PM, Yatnal stated, “I am writing to convey the recent incidents in Karnataka about the tyranny of the Waqf Board claiming lands of farmers, mutts, temples and landowners. This is against the principles of equality enshrined in our Constitution. Sir, this process of serving notices and changing names in RTC gained momentum after the central government constituted the Joint Parliamentary Committee to review the draconian Waqf Act.”

“If the motive of Waqf is welfare and social service, this has to be done without bias and religious discrimination as India is a secular nation. Nationalising assets of Waqf will help in equitable distribution of land in India and avoid the concentration of land with vested interests. Currently, the Waqf is the third-largest land owner in India after Defence and Railways," MLA Yatnal stated.