Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Anwar Manippady and Upalokayukta reports on misuse of Wakf property, will be investigated and reviewed.
“The Wakf issue needs to be discussed. Wakf has its own law, which has been violated and misused.
“The Manippady report will be investigated. We will also review the Upalokayukta report on the misuse of Wakf property,” he said on the floor of the assembly replying to a calling attention motion in the Assembly by ruling BJP members Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Raghupathy Bhat and Sanjiva Matanduru on Wednesday.
The chief minister’s response came in the wake of BJP MLAs seeking to know steps taken by the state government in the light of the Manippady report.
“When the ruling BJP members are prepared to discuss the baseless 40 per cent commission allegation against the government, why not discuss a big scam in which government properties worth over Rs 2 lakh crore were grabbed?
“Is there any bigger corruption than this? Wait and watch whose names will come out,” Bommai said, giving a warning signal to Congress leaders.
Raising the issue in the Assembly, Yatnal said the Wakf Board should be dismantled as it does not benefit poor Muslims and is a hub of corruption. “The Wakf Board has encroached 29,000 acres of land worth Rs 2.3 lakh crore out of 54,000 acres it owns,” he alleged.
A CBI enquiry should be initiated into these encroachments and the state revenue department should acquire these properties, Yatnal said.
Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy asked the House to permit the government to study the Upalokayukta report to take further action.
Wakf Minister Shashikala Jolle said the report was tabled in both Houses in September 2020.
Manippady had submitted his report to then chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda on March 26, 2012.
