Waqf Act: Ripple effects could cause discomfiture to Siddu govt

The stormy debates in both Houses of Parliament over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to bring transparency to the management of Waqf properties, may have ripple effects on state politics.

- RAMU PATIL Assistant Resident Editor

It would cause discomfiture to the ruling dispensation if the Centre decides to act on a report on the alleged misuse of Waqf lands in Karnataka.

The debates in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha put the focus back on a 13-year-old report by the then chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC), Anwar Manippady. The March 2012 report alleged that large-scale encroachment of Waqf properties in the state was gathering dust all these years and was almost forgotten.

The report given to the state government termed the alleged irregularities as the "biggest scam" in Karnataka and observed that over Rs 2 lakh crore worth of Waqf properties were either sold or encroached upon, and the irregularities were allegedly supported by influential political/elected representatives. It even named several politicians.