Vijayendra and Yatnal announce parallel programmes over waqf land issue ahead of winter session of legislature

BJP Karnataka unit divided over waqf land controversy, with parallel tours announced by State president and dissident leader.

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to put the Karnataka government on the mat over the waqf land controversy, in the run-up to the winter session of the State legislature to be held in Belagavi, differences within the party’s State unit seem to simmering.

On Friday, party’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra and dissident leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal announced parallel tours of the State over the waqf land controversy.

Mr. Vijayendra announced the formation of three fact-finding committees that will tour Karnataka as part of a campaign called ‘Namma Bhoomi-Namma Hakku’ over the waqf land issues. Hours before that, a group of leaders, led by Mr. Yatnal, announced a ‘Jana Jagruti Jatha’ over the same issue from November 25.

Rebel leaders, including Mr. Yatnal, Ramesh Jarkiholi, and Arvind Limbavali, met at Kumar Bangarappa’s Bengaluru residence on Friday and announced the jatha. Mr. Limbavali also announced that they have formed a control room to process complaints of alleged claims of waqf board over farmers’ land. He named former MPs Pratap Simha, G.M. Siddeshwar, and Annasaheb Jolle, among others, as supporters of the jatha. 

When quizzed whether this was part of the party’s programme, Mr. Yatnal said this was indeed a “BJP programme” and he would invite the State president, through the media, to join the same. It may be recalled that Mr. Yatnal and Mr. Jarkiholi have openly rebelled against the leadership of Mr. Vijayendra and called for his ouster.

While in the past, Mr. Yatnal and Mr. Jarkiholi were not allowed to hold a separate padayatra over the alleged scam in the Valmiki development corporation, parallel to Mysuru Chalo over the alleged MUDA scam led by Mr. Vijayendra, they were not allowed to carry it out. This time, the group has gone ahead with the announcement of a parallel tour.

The three committees formed by the State unit will be led by Opposition leaders in the State legislature R. Ashok, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and Mr. Vijayendra. Interestingly, it includes Mr. Yatnal, Mr. Jarkiholi, and Mr. Limbavali as part of the teams. Others part of these fact-finding committees include Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, and former Chief Ministers Jagadish Shettar, Basavaraj Bommai, and D.V. Sadananda Gowda.