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“CM Siddaramaiah should demand a CBI inquiry. If he is not willing, the Center should initiate a CBI probe,” says Anwar Maniappadi
Anwar Manipady first submitted a 7,000-page report on the alleged Waqf scam in 2012. (X)
Former Karnataka State Minorities Commission Chairman Anwar Maniappadi has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged corruption in Karnataka. waqf The Board emphasized that powerful people have snatched away their rightful land from farmers and innocent Muslims.
“CM Siddaramaiah and the ruling Congress should demand a CBI inquiry. If he is not willing, then the Central Government should initiate a CBI inquiry. If Siddaramaiah or the Congress have nothing to hide, then why is this report not investigated in the interest of the state’s farmers,” asked Maniappadi, who first brought the alleged corruption to light.
According to Manipadi, his report exposed a web of corruption worth around Rs 2.35 crore. He first submitted a 7,000-page report on the alleged scam in 2012. He said that there is a need for a thorough investigation into the misuse of Waqf land, which can only be done by a central agency like CBI.
The report was presented in 2020 by the then Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa, but later shelved it. “The Waqf Board exists for the benefit of the poor, yet those within it have looted the wealth meant for their community. Had these properties been managed properly, and investigated timely, corruption and poverty would not have been issues for Muslims in Karnataka. No Muslim will be poor in Karnataka.”
Vijayapura controversy, Bommai clip, Congress attack
Manipadi told News18 that the Waqf properties have been diverted by powerful individuals within and outside the board, and only a CBI investigation can expose the scam. He said that the visit of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairperson Jagdambika Pal to Vijayapura to hear the complaints of farmers to amend the Waqf Act will clarify the situation regarding the actual defaulters.
Controversy erupted in Vijayapura over plots in the names of farmers allegedly being marked as Waqf property. On October 10, a ‘Waqf court’ led the Vijayapura district administration to issue 124 notices on Waqf Board properties occupied by 433 persons. Two taluks of Vijayapura district, Indi and Chadachan, recorded changes in land ownership documents, marking “mutation” in their official records.
BJP MP Tejashwi Surya highlighted this in the backdrop of the JPC hearing on the bill to amend the powers of the Waqf Board, which also led to a heated exchange between the opposition and the ruling government at the Centre.
The Congress in Karnataka attacked the BJP’s agitation, saying similar notices were served during the party’s rule in the state. Siddaramaiah said that under the BJP rule in the state, notices were issued in 216 cases as part of the process to reclaim land owned by the Waqf Board.
A purported video clip of BJP MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai, shared by the CMO and also circulated on social media platforms, shows him declaring Waqf land as “Khuda ki Sampatti (God’s property)” at a program of the board. Shown as described.
“When you have to deal with Waqf it is God’s work. If he is robbed, if anything goes wrong, and you turn a blind eye (when property is looted), then his eyes will be on you, and you will be more guilty than those who plundered the land. He reportedly said in the clip that Waqf properties worth more than Rs 2,000 crore are registered in the names of private individuals.
The Congress has also pointed to a promise made by the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto which included “empowering Waqf boards in consultation with religious leaders; Steps are being taken to remove encroachment and unauthorized occupation from Waqf properties.
The BJP immediately raised the issue and alleged that the Waqf Board had served notice on 1,200 acres of land cultivated by local farmers. BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, known for his controversial statements, condemned the notices as oppressive and vowed to challenge them legally. He also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for nationalization of Waqf properties, which he claimed were being illegally seized from farmers, land owners, temples and trusts.
Manipapadi explains the Mutavalli factor
The function described by Manippady involves mutawalli – the caretakers or managers of waqf properties. When a donor dedicates land for waqf purposes, they usually appoint a mutawalli to manage it. This appointment often becomes hereditary, with family members taking on the role from generation to generation. Some mutawallis manage the assets themselves, while others appoint committees. But, according to Manipadi, these custodians of waqf lands have allegedly exploited their roles, joining hands with officials to sell off the properties for their own financial gain – public property meant to benefit the community.
“These properties are not personal property. But what is happening is sheer plunder. The people who were entrusted with the responsibility of preserving these lands have sold them. So this needs to be exposed and investigated properly,” Manipadi said.
Asked who were the main encroachers and how the Waqf land could be reclaimed, Manippadi said, “There are so many encroachers. Many of them are well-known individuals or connected parties. These people or their associates have bought or sold Waqf land by earning huge profits.” He alleged that a former Congress minister, Kamrul Islam, who has passed away, had allegedly sub-let the properties for sale of Waqf. Have divided.
Manippadi has alleged that several politicians in Karnataka, including former Union ministers like Rehman Khan and CM Ibrahim, MLAs like NA Haris, late Qamarul Islam and even current AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, are involved in this issue of Waqf land. Involved in alleged abuse. ,
Manipadi claimed that the Waqf properties were written in the benami names of his family members and he had earned crores of rupees from it. He even registered them in the names of family members.
“For example, NA Haris’ assets are listed in the name of his wife and mother, and CM Ibrahim’s assets appear in his wife’s name,” he alleged.
Pointing out that Kharge allegedly acquired a significant property in Kalaburagi, including a big mall with hundreds of flats, he said, “All this has been done through benami names.”
His party’s delay, Congress’s approach
Then Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda had sent Maniappadi’s 2012 report to the Lokayukta for further investigation. However, little progress has been made since then, Manipadi acknowledged.
The report was presented years later, in 2020, under then Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Asked about his party’s inaction after assuming power, Maniappadi responded, “Yes, my party should have restarted the investigation. He missed an important opportunity to expose the culprits. I don’t know why they didn’t pay attention to it – maybe they didn’t understand its importance.”
“There may be some cases where Hindu names appear on Waqf lands sold illegally. There may be some names which are Hindu farmers It is possible that this may have appeared in the Waqf release by mistake. Some of the property sold illegally was obtained in the name of a Hindu farmer. They should first locate the gazette, examine it and see whether it belongs to the Waqf or not,” Manipadi said.
For example, in Bharatpur, 4 acres of land in an 8-acre plot can be sold illegally. In the next gazette notification, the property number now became 129 (A) Bharatpur, which belonged to the Waqf, and 129 (B) of the person to whom it was sold. He told that it is divided into different names of the original and new owners.
The controversy over Waqf land has been further escalated by the Centre’s proposed amendments to the Waqf land rules, which have been supported by the Karnataka BJP. The party recently led statewide protests, in which opposition leader R. Ashok described the Vijayapura notice as “land jihad” and demanded the resignation of Waqf Minister Khan.
With the upcoming by-elections in Karnataka and elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Congress leaders including Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar have accused the BJP of exploiting the issue to score political points.
Manippadi responded by saying that “It is sad that instead of taking action, Congress sees political opportunism in every step.” The community is over. If this corruption is not addressed, this trend will continue and the poor will suffer.”
