BJP leader’s supporters begin month-long anti-Waqf protests amid internal rift

Despite an evident internal rift in Karnataka BJP, supporters of Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal launched a statewide march against the Waqf Board on Monday, despite Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s directive cancelling eviction notices issued to farmers and religious places. The month-long march began in Bidar, North Karnataka, and will culminate in Bengaluru on December 25.
The march, supported by 12 senior BJP leaders, including MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, MP G M Siddeshwara, former minister Arvind Limbavali, Kumar Bangarappa, is seen as a protest against alleged misuse of Waqf laws. JD(S) leader Bandeppa Kashempur also joined the march, donning a saffron scarf, signaling cross-party participation.
Addressing the gathering, Yatnal accused the Waqf law of aiming to “convert India into Pakistan” and called for a robust fight against it. He said: “Wherever there are Muslim deputy commissioners, they have declared the land as property of the Waqf Board. An officer named Jafar came to Bidar district and declared the entire town as Waqf. He is going to make it a mini Pakistan. Maharishi Valmiki land, houses, temples, and even the police station and quarters in Aland declared as Waqfs.”
“Many departments are short of officers, but Waqf officers are taking all lands, including government land, through the tribunal. And all the people in the tribunal are Muslims. So, I ask, can they really give a fair verdict in this matter?” he questioned.
He also took a veiled dig at his party, opposing dynastic politics and indirectly targeting senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa.
Responding to this, Yediyurappa said, “Basangouda Patil Yatnal, along with others, has been requested by State BJP President Vijayendra to set aside their differences and work with us. However, continuing a separate agitation for personal pride does not reflect well on him.”
He further appealed to Yatnal and others to come together and cooperate to strengthen the party. He said, “We have done our duty; the rest is up to him and the central leadership.All these matters are already known to the High Command, so let us wait and see what decision they make.”
The march follows the BJP state unit’s fact-finding team’s visit to Vijayapura, which sought to address farmer grievances over eviction notices linked to Waqf Board land. However, Yatnal and his camp distanced themselves from the exercise, claiming it lacked representation from local heavyweights like Ramesh Jigajinagi.
Yatnal and his supporters organised a protest in Bidar on November 25 against the alleged Waqf Board land encroachments, allegedly without the prior approval of the state party leadership. The internal rift within the BJP became apparent as the banners announcing the protest prominently featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but were conspicuously missing the image of state president BY Vijayendra.
The party’s Bidar district president filed a complaint against Yatnal’s team, accusing them of unauthorised use of party symbols and leaders’ images, asking the district police and municipality to remove the banners. Yet the banners remained across Bidar.