The Karnataka government will review land allotted by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government to various organisations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates, The Hindu reported.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao made the statement on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has told the revenue department to review land that was allotted in the last six months of the previous government led by BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai.
“Our intention is to ensure justice to all,” he said. “Land allotted during the last six months to organisations irrespective of caste and religion will be reviewed. We will not trouble the organisations that received land for the genuine purposes.”
The minister said that land sanctioned in the name of organisations and later grabbed by individuals would be taken back.
Rao claimed in a separate press conference that hundreds of acres of government land had been transferred in the name of the RSS and its affiliates during the BJP government’s term, PTI reported. He said that the purpose behind this was that the organisations should grow along with the ideologies that they espouse.
“Allotment of land should not happen in secret,” Rao said. “One should inform the public. So we have to take steps to review the allotment of land.”
On whether the government has taken any steps in this regard till now, the health minister said that he could not say anything at this stage, but the Congress government would have to do it.
“It should happen at the government level where the revenue department and the chief minister have to see what has happened and how it has happened,” he said. “They have to decide after seeing whether it has been done lawfully and for what price it has been allotted because these are all legal matters.”
Siddaramaiah took over as the Karnataka chief minister on May 20. The Congress had won the Assembly elections in the southern state on May 13 by securing 135 out of the 224 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party was reduced to 66 seats.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!