On Tuesday, the Karnataka BJP alleged that a 100-year-old school in Chikkaballapur district had been declared Waqf property. The party accused the state government of allowing a dargah to be constructed within the school premises and permitting the hoisting of a green flag instead of the national flag.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka led a BJP delegation to the school, sharply criticizing the state government’s handling of the matter.
“Sir M. Visvesvaraya studied in this school from grades 1 to 4,” Ashoka stated. “Several companies have contributed CSR funds to develop this school, which now has a proper compound wall. However, a mosque has been constructed within its premises, and this is completely unacceptable.”
Ashoka questioned how establishing a dargah and the alleged declaration of the site as Waqf property could occur. “A green flag has been hoisted throughout the year, replacing the Tricolour. What message is this sending to students?” he claimed, further alleging that loudspeakers from the mosque were disrupting the school environment and promoting religious conversions.
He also criticized the Congress government, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of turning a blind eye to such incidents. “The Congress talks about the Tricolour but allows green flags to replace it in schools,” he said, calling it an attempt to foster religious divisions.
Ashoka further alleged irregularities in land records, claiming that changes were made hastily when his visit to the school was announced. “This is the power of the opposition. The Waqf Board is attempting to seize land trodden by Visvesvaraya, and it is unacceptable,” he stated.
In a similar case in Mandya, where Waqf entries were reportedly removed from the land records of the Chikkamma Temple, Ashoka called for broader action. “Farmers who have held land for three generations are now seeing it marked as Waqf property. The Waqf Board is like a rogue demon, spreading fires everywhere,” he alleged.
The state government is yet to respond to the BJP’s accusations, which have sparked a heated debate over heritage, religion, and land ownership in Karnataka.
