Karnataka HC quashes FIR against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over farmer suicide post

The FIR was based on a social media post Mr. Surya made concerning a farmer's suicide, which he linked to alleged Waqf Board land claims

The Karnataka High Court has set aside an FIR filed against BJP Yuva Morcha president and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.

The FIR, registered by the Haveri police under 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was based on a social media post Mr. Surya made concerning a farmer's suicide, which he linked to alleged Waqf Board land claims.

The petition, filed by Mr. Surya, argued that the FIR was baseless and politically motivated.

Following detailed hearings, Justice M. Nagaprasanna's bench quashed the case after earlier granting an interim stay on proceedings.

Senior advocate Aruna Shyam, representing Mr. Surya, informed the court that the MP's post on the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter) was made after the deceased farmer's father highlighted grievances related to land disputes involving the Karnataka Waqf Board.

Mr. Surya's post alleged that the suicide was connected to the board's land claims. However, Haveri Superintendent of Police Anshu Kumar later clarified that the farmer, Rudrappa, who died by suicide in January 2022, had done so due to crop losses and loans, not due to Waqf-related issues.

Following this clarification, Mr. Surya deleted the post.

Mr. Shyam also pointed to concerns over amendments made to land records by the Karnataka Revenue Department, which allegedly replaced farmers' ownership details with the Waqf Board's name across various districts. These changes sparked anxiety among farmers, leading to protests and the State government's subsequent withdrawal of the amendments, he explained.

The counsel noted that Mr. Surya, as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, had visited farmers in Vijayapura alongside JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal.

The visit brought attention to issues faced by farmers in Karnataka due to Waqf-related land claims, which Mr. Surya highlighted in his now-deleted post, Mr. Surya's advocate said.

Published - December 13, 2024 01:03 pm IST