In a now-deleted post on X, Surya claimed that a farmer named Rudrappa Channappa Balikai died by suicide after he found out that his land was taken over by the Waqf board. The farmer had died in 2022.
Published Nov 08, 2024 | 10:44 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 08, 2024 | 10:47 AM
File photo of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. (Supplied)
The Haveri Police Station in Karnataka filed an FIR against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday, 7 November. The FIR came after the BJP MP made false claims that a farmer died by suicide after his land was claimed by the Waqf Board.
In a now-deleted post on X, Surya claimed that a farmer named Rudrappa Channappa Balikai died by suicide after he found out that his land was taken over by the Waqf board and claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan have “unleashed catastrophic effects in Karnataka that are becoming impossible to contain with every passing day”.
Following the post, the Haveri Superintendent of Police (SP) said that the MP’s claim regarding the reason for the farmer’s suicide was false.
“The news shared is false. No such incident reported. The farmer mentioned here, Rudrappa Channappa Balikai suicide case was reported on 06/01/2022 and it was reported to be due to loan and crop loss. Case was registered u/s 174 CrPC in Adur PS. Final report was already submitted,” the SP said on X.
Several news outlets also reported the farmer’s suicide with a false claim linking it to the Waqf Board.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge slammed the BJP and Surya for “continuously spreading misinformation.”
“Once again, @BJP4Karnataka is doing what they do best—spreading misinformation and fueling communal tension for electoral gain. This isn’t the first instance of @Tejasvi_Surya acting irresponsibly. In his eagerness to please his political masters, he seems willing to damage Karnataka’s reputation. The BJP has become an anti-state unit, ready to defame its own state to advance individual careers,” Kharge said on X.
“This pattern of misinformation has even made its way into the BJP’s “WhatsApp university” syllabus now. We will be filing a case of misinformation and fake news against the not so honorable MP, who seems to thrive on undermining Karnataka every time,” he added.
Once again, @BJP4Karnataka is doing what they do best—spreading misinformation and fueling communal tension for electoral gain.
This isn’t the first instance of @Tejasvi_Surya acting irresponsibly. In his eagerness to please his political masters, he seems willing to damage… pic.twitter.com/RWX3xOKS1o
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) November 7, 2024
The FIR was registered after a complaint by Sunil Huchanavar of the Haveri District Police Social Media Monitoring Cell against the Bengaluru South MP at the Haveri CEN Crime Police Station under Section 353 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Section 353(2) of the BNS deals with making, publishing or circulating statements that are intended to create or promote feelings of hatred, enmity, or ill will between different groups.
The FIR has named Surya, editor of Kannada Duniya and editor of Kannada News e-paper as the accused.
The complainant has alleged that Surya posted fake news on his social media at 1 pm on Thursday. The post in question, on X, referenced an article from the Kannada Dunia E-Paper, which contained false claims.
According to the e-paper, the headline read: “Entry of the Waqf name in the pahani of the land: Farmer suicide in Haveri.”
The article falsely reported that a farmer named Rudrappa from Haranagi village in Haveri had committed suicide due to the inclusion of a Waqf name in the record of his land four years ago. The story further claimed that Haveri farmers were protesting against the Waqf notice.
In a post on X, the Havri SP clarified that the farmer died by suicide two years ago due to crop loss and debt and that it did not have any relation with the notices by the Waqf Board.
“A media report alleged that Rudrappa, a farmer from Harangiri village, took his life after discovering his 4-acre farmland had been marked as Waqf property. However, there is no such mention in the FIR,” stated the SP in a fact-check post on X in Kannada.
According to the SP, the incident occurred on 6 January, 2022. The complaint filed by Rudrappa’s father said his son faced a debt following a loan of ₹3 lakh from ICICI Bank and an additional ₹4 lakh to private persons.
“Severe crop damage caused by heavy rainfall led to significant financial distress, which is believed to have contributed to Rudrappa’s suicide. The case was registered under section 174 of the CrPC (UDR number 03/2022), with no indication of a land dispute. The investigation, led by PSI Adur, gathered evidence confirming that crop failure and debt were the primary factors behind Rudrappa’s death and submitted a report to the Tahsildar of Hanagal. A compensation of ₹5 lakh was also recommended to be paid by the government,” the SP said.
#haveripolice #fakenews #factcheck @DgpKarnataka @igperdvg @anshu_ips @kspfactcheck @siddaramaiah @BZZameerAhmedK @DrParameshwara @DKShivakumar @Tejasvi_Surya @KarnatakaCops pic.twitter.com/o4SMx8OTTL
— SP Haveri (@sphaveri) November 7, 2024
The claim by the MP comes at a time when controversy is simmering in Karnataka following the notices issued by the Karnataka Waqf Board to some farmers in Vijayapura.
It is also important to note that there have been several reassurances from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Cabinet ministers that the notices issued to farmers would be withdrawn at the earliest.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Mahesh M Goudar.)
