Karnataka High Court Dismisses FIR Against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Regarding Waqf Controversy

Bengaluru, December 12 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court has officially dismissed an FIR against BJP National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, which was lodged by the Haveri police over a social media post related to the suicide of a farmer in Haveri. This incident reportedly occurred after the Waqf board allegedly claimed his land.

Tejasvi Surya had filed a petition requesting the quashing of the FIR, arguing that the accusations were groundless and politically driven.

After considering both sides, the court reserved its decision. Senior counsel Aruna Shyam represented Surya, stating that the post was in response to the father of the deceased.

Once the police clarified the situation, Surya promptly deleted the post and asked the court to annul the FIR.

The bench led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna had earlier issued an interim stay on the legal proceedings, halting any further actions against Surya in this matter.

Advocate Shyam also highlighted that the Karnataka Revenue Department had allegedly changed land records without consent, replacing farmers' names with that of the Karnataka Waqf Board in various districts.

This alteration led to significant unrest and protests from the affected farmers, which compelled the Karnataka government to reverse these modifications and retract associated notices.

Additionally, as part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Surya had visited Vijayapura alongside JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal to engage with farmers dealing with land issues related to the Waqf.

During these interactions, Surya became aware of a report concerning a farmer named Rudrappa, who reportedly took his own life in Haveri due to a Waqf Board claim on his family's land.

Surya shared this information on X, voicing his concerns about the struggles faced by farmers in Karnataka.

Shortly after his tweet, Haveri Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar clarified on social media that Rudrappa's suicide, which occurred in January 2022, was linked to loan issues and crop failures, not a Waqf land claim.

Following this clarification, Surya deleted his post, reaffirming his commitment to sharing accurate information and addressing the issues of Karnataka's farmers.

The FIR was lodged by the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics police in Haveri district against Surya under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita – 2023.

The FIR stated: "Tejasvi Surya on his social media account indicated that a 'farmer in Haveri commits suicide after discovering his land taken over by the Waqf. In their haste to appease minorities, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Zameer Khan have unleashed catastrophic effects in Karnataka that are becoming impossible to contain with every passing day,' which was based on a misleading report by Kannada Duniya e-paper."