The Karnataka BJP has objected to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress government’s decision to grant nearly Rs 32 crore for the maintenance of Waqf Board properties.
The Karnataka government has released Rs 3,184.50 lakh to construct compounds and protect 416 Waqf properties in the state.
Hitting out at the state government, BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said, “Instead of helping the drought-stricken farmers, the state government is on the verge of building a compound to protect the Waqf properties. This shows what the government’s priorities are. What is the rush to protect waqf property when the state is facing difficulties? What else is this but appeasement politics? As said by Dr Subramanian Swamy, the amount of illiteracy in Congress is unbelievable.”
In response, the Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad accused the BJP of giving a “communal angle” to the government’s decision.
“I would like to ask BJP why are you reducing our share in central taxes? The very BJP that is talking about communal angle have no guts to ask central leadership about the reduced share of Kannadigas in taxes,” Arshad said.
“Waqf is a semi-government property. All money being spent is part of the total budget, the same way we give it to other departments,” he added.