Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje says land mafia exploiting Waqf to grab land

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday claimed that a “powerful land mafia” was trying to take land from farmers and the poor using false Waqf claims.
She made the comments after visiting Munambam in Ernakulam district, where about 600 families are protesting against Waqf board staking a claim on the land they have been living on.
Speaking to the media, Karandlaje accused the group of carrying out what she called “land jihad.”
“The residents of Munambam owned this land until 2019, and it should be given back to them retroactively,” she said.
“In 1954, when the Waqf Act was passed, the Waqf Board owned just 10,000 acres of land across the country. Today, it is the third-largest landowner in India, after the Defence and Railways, with 38 lakh acres. Where did all this land come from?” she questioned.
She added that similar land takeovers are happening across the country. “Previously, land records showed farmers and other owners, but now the Waqf Board is claiming these lands. In Karnataka alone, about 29,000 acres have been taken by Muslim leaders,” she alleged.
Karandlaje, who is the Minister of State for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment, promised the protesters that she would bring their concerns to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Residents of Cherai and Munambam say the Waqf Board is wrongly claiming their land and properties, even though they have registered deeds and tax payment receipts.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured the protesters that their concerns will be looked into, but the hunger strike led by the Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samiti entered its 33rd day on Thursday.