Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday accused a "powerful land mafia" of trying to seize land from farmers and the poor by making false Waqf land claims.
Karandlaje, speaking to reporters after visiting Munambam in Ernakulam district, where around 600 families are protesting against Waqf claims, said that this was part of a larger "land jihad" orchestrated by the mafia.
She pointed out that in 1954, when the Waqf Act was introduced, the Waqf Board owned only 10,000 acres of land across India. Today, however, the Waqf Board is the third-largest landowner in the country, controlling 38 lakh acres, after the Defence and Railways. "Where did all this land come from?" Karandlaje asked.
The BJP leader, who is also the Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment, assured the protesting families that she would raise their concerns with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) working on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Karandlaje stated that the residents of Munambam owned the land until 2019 and should have it returned to them, with retroactive effect. She also claimed that similar land acquisitions are happening across the country.
"Earlier, land records listed farmers and others as landowners, but now the Waqf Board is claiming ownership. In Karnataka alone, around 29,000 acres have been taken over by Muslim leaders," she alleged.
Residents of Munambam and Cherai have accused the Waqf Board of illegally claiming their land and properties, despite having registered deeds and land tax receipts proving ownership.
While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has promised that the concerns of the protesters would be addressed, the hunger strike organized by the Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samiti reached its 33rd day on Thursday.
Karandlaje stated that the issue would be resolved once the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is passed.
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