A rally held in Belagavi on Tuesday, organized by the Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, saw strong demands for the creation of a Sanatan Board to protect the assets of Hindu temples and mutts, while calling for the abolition of Waqf Boards.
Sri Kadhsiddheshwar Swami of Kaneri Mutt was among the prominent speakers at the ‘Waqf Hatao, Desh Bachao’ rally. He said there’s an urgent need for a Sanatan Board to safeguard the properties of Hindu religious organizations, many of which are not fully aware of the extent of their assets. He proposed that the board could help identify, fence, and legally protect these properties through proper documentation.
Swami Kadhsiddheshwar also criticized the functioning of the Waqf Board, accusing it of misusing the legal process to claim properties. He claimed that the board’s actions, such as the pressure on local authorities to recognize Muslim claims to land, were undermining the rights of other communities. He further argued that Waqf laws, introduced by the British, were unconstitutional and continued by the Congress governments, suggesting that if laws were not established for Hindus and other minorities, there should be no special laws for Muslims either. The seer warned that if such laws were not contested, Hindus could face a fate similar to their counterparts in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The rally was supported by other prominent seers, including Chandrashekar Shivacharya Swami of Hukkeri Mutt, Madiwala Rajayogindra Swami of Kittur Kalmutt, and Shivanand Guruji of Nilaji, among others. They voiced their solidarity with the demand to protect Hindu religious properties and opposed the continued existence of the Waqf Board.
