Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal, Member of Legislative Assembly for Vijayapura City and former Union Minister, has made an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocating for the nationalisation of Waqf properties across India.
In a letter dated 20 October 2024, Yatnal raised concerns over the alleged overreach of Waqf Boards, asserting that current laws are inequitable and infringe upon the rights of private landowners, farmers, and religious institutions.
Yatnal’s letter highlights a growing discontent in Karnataka over what he describes as the “tyranny of the Waqf Board,” which he claims has been “unauthorisedly acquiring” lands belonging to temples, mutts, farmers, and individual citizens.
He argues that the Wakf Act enables unregulated authority, leading to what he characterises as widespread “distress” and a violation of equality principles enshrined in the Constitution.
The MLA has urged the government to consider nationalising Waqf properties, suggesting that such a move would safeguard the rights of rightful owners and prevent any entity from exercising “unchecked power over private and public lands.”
According to Yatnal, the issue extends beyond Karnataka, affecting religious and historical institutions and properties that predate the establishment of the Waqf.
Yatnal also criticised what he perceives as the ruling Congress government’s attempts to “appease minority communities” by empowering the Waqf Board with extensive authority, describing this as an affront to democracy.
He cites as an example the Virakta Mutt property in Sindhagi, donated by Rani Abbakka in the 12th century, which has now allegedly been claimed by the Wakf Board, an action he calls “illogical and arbitrary.”
The letter further emphasises that Waqf Boards, as one of India’s largest landowners after the Defence and Railway Ministries, should operate in a manner that reflects the nation’s secular principles.
Yatnal calls for a revision of policies governing Wakf properties to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness, asserting that these steps would contribute to equitable land distribution in India.
Yatnal’s appeal has sparked renewed debate around the management and regulation of Wakf properties and the broader implications for land rights and religious equity across the nation.
