Bengaluru: Haveri police filed an FIR against Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday, for a post on his social media handle that claimed a farmer committed suicide after the Waqf Board allegedly confiscated his property. The post, based on a media report, sparked controversy and led to an investigation.
The FIR, filed by cybercrime, economic offences, and narcotics (CEN) police in Haveri district, charges Surya under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023. Besides the MP, two editors of Kannada digital media outlets have been named as co-accused.
The complaint stems from a social media post where Surya, also BJP national youth president, stated, "A farmer in Haveri commits suicide after finding his land taken over by the waqf. In their haste to appease minorities, CM Siddaramaiah and Minister Zameer Khan have unleashed catastrophic effects in Karnataka that are becoming impossible to contain with every passing day (sic)."
The post was based on a report published by Kannada Duniya e-paper, which the FIR states is "false news".
A statement from the chief minister's office, said two Kannada portals, in a report, claimed that a farmer named Rudrappa from Hanaragi village in Haveri district took his own life eight years ago after discovering that his four-acre plot was listed as waqf property in land records.
This incident follows a visit by Jagdambika Pal, chairperson of the joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to Hubballi, Vijayapura on and Belagavi Thursday, where he met with affected farmers. Surya had accompanied Pal on the tour.