Bengaluru: A report that was furnished by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission long ago had revealed that property worth Rs 2.35 lakh crore belonging to the Wakf Board in the state was plundered and looted by the politicians.
Though the report was submitted in 2012, the successive state governments in Karnataka have not paid attention to the irregularities.
Anwar Manippady, BJP’s Karnataka unit joint spokesperson and former State Minorities Commission chairman, who had submitted the report, has urged incumbent Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take necessary action based on the report.
The 125-page report — a 13-volume document, says that 29,000-acre among total 54,000 acre that is owned by the Wakf Board was looted by prominent Muslim leaders of the state.
Anwar said that no action was taken on the report released by the state Minorities Commission during the tenure of former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
“Chief Minister Bommai can take the side of truth now,” he said on Thursday.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has said the Bommai-led government must hand over the Wakf land scam case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough probe.
Along with Yatnal, BJP MLAs — Raghupathy Bhat, Sanjeev Manthandoor and Vedavyasa Kamat — demanded a discussion on the issue in the Assembly.
The ruling BJP government has said that the complete report on the misuse of Wakf Board property would be presented in the state legislature.
Sources in the know of things claimed that many commercial complexes, hotels, engineering and medical colleges have come up on the Wakf Board’s land in Karnataka.
Top Muslim leaders in the state such as Janata Dal-Secular president C.M. Ibrahim, late Congress leader Qamar-ul-Islam, Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Iqbal Ansari, former Union Ministers — Jaffer Shariff, Rahman Khan and former Karnataka Minister Roshan Baig are allegedly involved in the racket, the former State Minorities Commission Chairman said.
He said that he had approached the High Court and the Supreme Court to establish the validity of the report. “Now, the BJP government should initiate action on the report,” he said.
Sources in the BJP said the party is approaching the matter in a cautious manner as Assembly elections are also approaching.
(IANS)
