Prime Minister Modi is an alien: Gulam Nabi Azad
Chikmagaluru, May 5: Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and former chief minister Jammu and Kashmir Gulam Nabi Azad said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been doing his politics by dividing the religious fabric and harmonious tradition of the country, is really an alien.
Addressing an election rally in the city on Saturday, Azad said that the country is known for its special communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims and tradition. Here there is no discrimination between people. There was no tradition in the country to ask votes on the basis of religions. Unfortunately, Modi does not have knowledge about this. As a result, he has been wiping out this tradition, he lashed.
The country has seen a number of prime ministers. Atal Bihari Vajpayee of BJP had also ruled the country. But there was no blow for communal and social harmony in the country. Vajpayee did not try to create rift among people. But the country has never seen a prime minister like Modi. He has been seeking votes placing the religion ahead and thus, tried to damage the unity between Hindus and Muslims. He might have from another planet, he said.
During Indira Gandhi period, he was given a ticket for Lok Sabha election from a constituency in Maharashtra where the number of Muslims was just 5 per cent. He did not have any clarity on the constituency. But the people who campaigned in favour of him were Hindus. Interestingly, his opponent was also a Hindu candidate. But though he was a Muslim, he was elected by a margin of 2.50 lakh votes and those Hindu voters did not consider religion as a criteria to elect a person. It is the culture and tradition of this country. Because of this reason, the country was being respected across the globe. But the alien prime minister has disturbed the communal harmony in the country. He was doing the same thing even in Karnataka. If the Hindus and Muslims are not united, it is impossible to develop the country, he said.
Earlier, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, his sons and Yeddyurappa were the opponents for Congress in Karnataka. Now, Modi is the opponent. Along with Modi, the Congress has to face his money, corruption and some paid media. The Congress which believed in secular ideologies has been doing its politics on the basis of the Constitution, he said and hoped that people of Karnataka would not believe Modi so easily.
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Waqf row: JPC Chairman in Karnataka on "fact finding", to meet aggrieved persons
Hubballi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal on Thursday said he is in Karnataka for "fact finding" and to meet those aggrieved, following allegations by a section of farmers and others in certain parts of the state that their lands were marked as Waqf properties.
He will visit Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi as part of his visit, during which he will meet farmers and members of various organisations regarding their lands being claimed by the State Waqf Board.
He will be accompanied by Bengaluru South MP and JPC member Tejasvi Surya during the visit, Surya's office said.
"As the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee I have come to meet aggrieved farmers, whose land now the Waqf board is claiming. The land belonged to farmers for 50-70 years, (which) all of a sudden Waqf board is claiming. They (farmers) are agitating," Pal said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said farmers' organisations have met him at the airport and have handed over some papers to him.
"I have also inquired whether the land that is claimed by the Waqf board -- do you (farmers) have some bonafide title or ownership or deeds? -- they are saying that there are bonafide owners of the land, even then the Waqf board is claiming," he said.
Pal said Surya had told him about the "grave situation" and requested him to come to Hubballi, Vijayapura, as the Waqf board has even claimed some historical monuments protected by the Archeological survey of India.
"...this is the issue, the committee has been constituted by the Honorable Speaker (of Lok Sabha) to inquire and to prepare the report. We have come here for fact finding, we will meet different farmers' organisations. Lawyers of the district have also come and given papers, also farmers, I have received some papers. I'm here to meet those who are aggrieved," he said.
Surya had recently written to Pal, drawing attention to the plight of farmers from Vijayapura District and other areas in the vicinity in Karnataka, who have been served notices claiming their land as Waqf property.
Apart from the notices, changes have been made in the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), pahani and mutation registers for some of the land parcels without following the due process of law, he had said.
There were allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, and similar charges have surfaced from few other places subsequently. Similar allegations have also been made by some organisations and religious institutions like Maths.
With the row escalating, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed officials that all notices issued to farmers be immediately revoked, and any unauthorised amendments in land records without due notice must also be nullified.
The opposition BJP has been holding protests, accusing the Congress government of indulging in "land jihad". The party has also demanded the sacking of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan from the Cabinet.
