Land Dispute Erupts In Tamil Nadu's Vellore As 150 Families Face 'Waqf Notices'
A heated land ownership conflict has erupted in Kattukollai village near Vellore after more than 150 families received notices claiming their properties as Waqf land. The notices, allegedly issued by the Syed Ali Sultan Shah Dargah in Virinchipuram, demand that residents either vacate the land or start paying taxes to the dargah authorities.
Residents Challenge Legitimacy Of Claim
Residents of the village have raised strong objections, claiming that they have lived on the land for generations, paying taxes and holding valid registration documents. "Our Land is registered, we have paid water tax, but now we have received a notice saying that land is a Waqf Property," said one of the villagers, as per ANI.
A Hindu Munnani functionary, Praveen Kumar, told ANI, "Around 150 villagers of Kattukollai village received a notice from Syed Ali Masjid at Virinchipuram. The notice claims that village's land belongs to Waqf property...4 generations have been living in Kattukollai, they have also paid their taxes. We met the Collector and he assured us that the land belongs to the government and is not Waqf property".
Another Hindu Munnani leader, Mahesh, linked the issue to recent legislative changes, saying, that claims like these are surfacing as several villages in Vellore are facing similar threats.
Dargah Management Defends Move
Responding to the controversy, F Syed Satham, the hereditary Muthavalli of the Kilandal Masjid and the Hazrath Syed Ali Sulthan Sha Dargah, defended the action. "I have given a notice to the villageers who are residing there. I have all the records that belong to our Waqf. It shows that from 1954, the mentioned property belongs to our Waqf. The villagers also know that the land belongs to the Masjid property. We spoke with them. They just have to pay the land rent to us and not the building rent or any other tax...I have given a notice to them to pay the land rent to us," he said. Further, he noted that the records will be submitted to the appropriate authorities for validation and further action.
Political Reactions
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan weighed in on the issue, stating that this was not an isolated case. Vanathi said, "There are several instances of that nature across the state and across the country. This is why the government has brought the Waqf Act, to protect the interest of the people and ownership of properties. This is a kind of reform act to avoid all these kinds of conflicts of interest. Now the people will realise the importance of this act..."
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