Karnataka BJP MP Tejasvi Surya finds himself in the middle of a controversy once again. An FIR has been filed against the BJP MP in Bangalore. The case was registered for allegedly spreading false information i.e. Fake news linking a farmer’s suicide to a land dispute involving the Waqf Board.
Bengaluru’s Haveri Police Station filed an FIR on Thursday. This follows Surya’s social media post, which claimed that a farmer, Rudrappa Channappa Balikai, had died by suicide after losing his land to the Waqf Board. Not just that, Surya also blamed Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, accusing them of causing “catastrophic effects” for farmers in the state.
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The post was later deleted by Surya after police denied his claims but the case has been registered. Surya after deleting the post stated that he would no longer trust the news source that led him to make the incorrect claim about Rudrappa’s death. He attributed the confusion to the anxiety among farmers over recent Waqf conversion notices and apologized for the unintended spread of misinformation.
He wrote “Thanks for the information. The tweet stands deleted. I will henceforth not rely on the news agency that reported it. Given the rampant amount of WAQF conversion notices to 1000s of farmers across the State, one is easily led to believe such outcomes.”
According to the Haveri police, the farmer’s death occurred in January 2022. It was due to debt and crop failure rather than a land dispute. The Haveri Superintendent of Police confirmed that the suicide was not linked to any Waqf-related issue. They clarified that a final report under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code had been submitted. This section typically addresses investigations into unnatural deaths.
However the FIR not only names BJP MP Tejasvi Surya but also editors from two Kannada news portals that is the Kannada Dunia E-Paper and Kannada News E-Paper. These news portals had published reports implying that Waqf land claims were linked to the farmer’s death.
The headline from one news outlet suggested that the farmer’s suicide was related to Waqf authorities adding the Waqf name to his land records, creating alleged mental distress for Rudrappa. In response, police clarified that these claims were baseless and that no such incident had been reported.
Amidst this Karnataka’s Minister of Information Technology and Biotechnology, Priyank Kharge reacted to the incident. He strongly criticized Surya and the BJP, accusing them of using misinformation for political gains. Kharge stated on social media that the BJP, along with Surya, were stirring communal tension to appeal to electoral interests.
Kharge also described this as part of a larger pattern, calling the BJP’s approach a threat to Karnataka’s social harmony. He further noted that a formal complaint would be filed against Surya for allegedly circulating fake news.
Meanwhile, the Haveri district police filed the FIR after a complaint was received from Sunil Huchanavar, an official at the Social Media Monitoring Cell in Haveri. The charges were filed under Section 353 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which addresses actions intended to create enmity or ill will between communities.
The FIR against Surya also mentioned that the post referenced a news article from Kannada Dunia E-Paper, which falsely reported the cause of the farmer’s death as Waqf land issues. Police confirmed that Rudrappa’s suicide was a result of financial pressures from crop losses and outstanding loans, with no evidence of Waqf land involvement.
According to reports, Haveri SP elaborated on Rudrappa’s situation, explaining that he had faced serious financial difficulties due to failed crops and had accumulated a significant debt load. According to the SP, Rudrappa had borrowed three lakh rupees from ICICI Bank and another four lakh rupees from private lenders.
After heavy rains damaged his crops, he found himself unable to repay the debt, a factor that allegedly led to his suicide in early 2022. The Haveri SP also stated that the government provided a compensation of five lakh rupees to Rudrappa’s family.
Meanwhile, the controversies surrounding the Waqf land issue has been growing in Karnataka. Surya’s claims coincided with heightened concerns about Waqf-related land notices sent to farmers.However, in light of the recent incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered the officials to halt these notices and withdraw any that have already been issued. He also assured farmers that all of their land rights would be protected.
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According to reports the BJP leaders, including Tejasvi Surya, have been very vocal on Waqf land issues. They have been alleging irregularities in Waqf Board land designations and calling for a thorough review of land classifications. Surya and other BJP representatives have expressed concerns that some land records were amended without proper notification, with the Waqf label added to properties in certain districts.
Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill also reacted on these land issues. He recently visited Karnataka to investigate these allegations. He also stated that a fact-finding report on Waqf land matters will be presented in Parliament’s winter session.
Chairman Jagdambika Pal, along with Surya, yesterday held meetings with concerned farmers in areas like Huballi and Vijayapura. Pal confirmed that his committee would present its findings on the Waqf Amendment Bill, addressing concerns from various districts about the land record changes.
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