FIR against Tejasvi Surya over misleading claim about farmer's suicide
What's the story
An FIR has been filed against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya for allegedly making a misleading claim about a farmer's suicide in Karnataka.
The case was registered at the Haveri Police station after Surya claimed that farmer Rudrappa Channappa Balikai died by suicide due to his land being "taken over by Waqf."
In a now-deleted X post, Surya also accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan of causing distress among farmers.
Official clarification
Police refute Surya's claims, confirm real cause of suicide
However, the Superintendent of Police in Haveri has refuted Surya's claims.
Balikai's death in January 2022 was due to loan burdens and crop loss, not land issues, the police said.
The case was closed under Section 174 of the CrPC after a final report was submitted, the police confirmed.
Editors of two Kannada news portals also face charges for publishing misleading headlines about this incident.
MP's response
Surya responds to allegations, shifts blame to news source
Responding to the FIR, Surya said he would not trust the news source that published the false report anymore.
He said he believed the report initially due to widespread anxiety over recent Waqf conversion notices to farmers.
"Given the rampant amount of WAQF conversion notices to 1000s of farmers across the State, one is easily led to believe such outcomes," Surya wrote in a post.
Ongoing dispute
Waqf land issues intensify in Karnataka, parliamentary committee intervenes
The incident has sharpened focus on Waqf land matters in Karnataka, with BJP leaders raising questions over land reclassification processes.
Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal, along with Surya, visited a few districts recently to meet farmers worried about Waqf properties.
Pal promised to present a fact-finding report in Parliament's upcoming winter session.
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah has asked officials to stop new Waqf notices and withdraw the ones issued to farmers.