The political temperature in Karnataka rose on Thursday after Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairperson Jagdambika Pal visited Karnataka's Hubballi to meet the protesting farmers. He met protesting farmers on the invitation of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who also accompanied him today.
Notably the farmers are protesting as they claim that their land was designated as Waqf board's property without any prior notice or due process. After meeting farmers in Hubballi, Pal said that the fact-finding report will be presented in the upcoming winter session of the Parliament.
Speaking about today's meeting, Surya said, "I joined JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal in Hubballi to meet with local farmer delegations who are adversely impacted by recent Waqf Board claims on their ancestral lands."
Jagdambika Pal to meet farmers from Vijayapura, Belagavi
Furthermore, BJP MP said that JPC Chairperson is meeting with all stakeholders and he meet farmers from Belagavi and Vijayapura also. "The JPC has been actively meeting with all stakeholders to understand all aspects of the existing law & the proposed amendments. We will also be meeting farmers from Vijayapura and Belagavi next," he said.
'This is political drama,' says DK Shivkumar
Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar hit out at the BJP calling JPC Chairperson's visit political drama. Hde also said that land is a state matter according to the Constitution and JPC has no role in it. He said, "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started this (sending of notices) in 2019, but the Karnataka government remains committed and would not change any record", he said, adding that they might have come for their political purpose.
"This is all a political drama since there are upcoming elections. Land is a state subject. BJP themselves started this in 2019. They had given notices. Even in Dharwad, they gave notices. It is the continuation of that. But my government is committed, we will not change any record. We will not rectify it. We don't want to affect any farmers. This has all been started by the BJP. They are trying to put the blame on us but we don't mind. JPC doesn't have any powers to enter, they might have come for their political purposes since it was not an officially designated visit," he said.
(With ANI Inputs)
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