Violence erupts in Karnataka village following rumors of Waqf Board taking over properties

Violence erupted in Kadakol village of Haveri district in Karnataka on Oct 30 night after many villagers residing around a shrine allegedly attacked buildings and houses of a particular community following rumors that the Waqf Board may take over their properties including houses.

Five people were injured, one of them critically in the incident, police said.

At least 32 suspects have been detained for probe and peace has been restored in affected Kadakol village, Haveri Superintendent of Police, Anshu Kumar was quoted as saying on Oct 31.

The miscreants allegedly threw stones and ransacked houses, besides destroying a parked motorcycle in the village.

Around 200 police personnel and four Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons have been deployed in the affected village, according to Kumar.

He added police will initiate action against those who take the law into their own hands.

A person who received grievous injuries in the violence was taken to Hubballi's KIMS for treatment and is now out of danger, a police officer was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Waqf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hatching a conspiracy around Waqf properties and said the party has been misleading farmers.

“The incident in Kadakol village, which has never had any communal disturbance, is very painful. Farmers need not panic as we will never acquire their land," he was quoted as saying on Oct 31.

The violence erupted following the rumors that most properties around a shrine in the village had been marked as Waqf assets, and would soon be acquired.

Deputy Commissioner Vijay Mahantesh however in a statement clarified that they have directed assistant commissioners and tehsildars to "verify all property documents listed by the District Waqf Board and send a report to the office. This means not all these belong to the Waqf Board."

Haveri Member of Parliament and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Oct 31 urged the state government to immediately withdraw notices issued to farmers and "remove Waqf asset classification from land records".

Meanwhile, in a related development, the Haveri District Waqf Board recently claimed ownership of Haveri District Court premises, which is spread over a 20-acre land, and a 19-acre Hindu burial ground in Tadas village of Shiggaon taluk in the district.