A group of discontented BJP leaders staged an anti-waqf rally in Belagavi on Sunday. The participants marched from the Sardar School Grounds to the Gandhi Bhavan, where a demonstration was held.
The rally was led by BJP MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and included prominent leaders such as Kumar Bangarappa, Arvind Limbavali, Pratap Simha, B.V. Naik, Mahesh Kumthalli, and Shrimant Patil. Notably, BJP legislators from the Belagavi district abstained from the rally. Janata Dal(S) leaders, including N.R. Santosh, and local BJP leader Dhananjay Jadhav, also participated.
Jarkiholi stated that the rally was part of the first phase of protests against waqf board issues, with similar events held in Bidar, Raichur, and Vijayapura. He announced plans for a large rally in Davangere during the second phase, aiming for participation from over 10 lakh people. He also indicated that a detailed report on the waqf issue, prepared after a thorough study, would be submitted to the Union government.
BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal urged citizens to address the issue, warning that land disputes could extend to personal property if ignored. He criticized Karnataka Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan for allegedly disturbing the state’s peace by raising waqf-related claims, questioning the reported increase in waqf land from 1.5 lakh acres to over six lakh acres.
Former MP Pratap Simha pointed out that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had abolished waqf in his state and suggested that other states should follow suit. He claimed that land donated by Muslim philanthropists historically belonged to Hindus before the Mughal, Bahmani, and Adil Shahi regimes.
Former minister Arvind Limbavali likened the waqf issue to a societal “cancer” that must be dealt with firmly. He alleged that the waqf board had claimed houses and farmland even in Belagavi. Limbavali criticized BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra for not strongly addressing the issue, accusing him of engaging in “adjustment politics” with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Kumar Bangarappa accused the state government of collaborating with the waqf board to commit injustices against farmers, echoing the grievances of other rally participants.
