At least five people were injured in a clash that broke out between two groups following a heated argument in Karnataka's Haveri on Wednesday night. While the police has not officially confirmed the reason behind the clash, locals and preliminary probe suggest it happened over a Waqf land controversy.


According to the police, members of a community hurled stones at a house, injuring five people, India Today reported.


"We don’t know why this fight started. Thirty people are arrested and we’ll investigate and find the reason," a senior police official said.


The Hindu community claimed that some Muslim locals submitted a petition to district officials claiming waqf land in the village. But no such petition was submitted when checked. Despite this, a few Hindu men allegedly threw stones at eight Muslim houses, which triggered a clash between the two communities.


In the incident, the window panes of some of the houses were shattered, and a few vehicles were also vandalised. The injured people have been admitted to the district hospital for treatment.


The Hindu community continued alleging thatthe Muslims had filed the petition claiming the Waqf land. Police clarified that the preliminary probe revealed the fight broke out as the Hindu people felt the petition was given, despite no such petition being filed.


The incident occurred days after farmers in Honvada village in Karnataka's Vijayapura said they received a letter from the Tehsildar on October 4, stating that 1,500 acres of their ancestral land was being reassigned to the Waqf Board.


Following this, Congress minister Zameer Ahmed Khan clarified that only 23,860 acres of the 1.12 lakh acres land previously managed by Waqf, remains under its control. He dismissed claims made by the farmers, emphasising that he, too, comes from a farming background and would respect farmers’ rights.


The union government introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha, saying that it was aimed at streamlining the Waqf Board's work and to ensure the Waqf properties are managed efficiently.


The bill was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) shortly after the Opposition parties and Muslim organisations raised concerns, alleging that the bill was aimed at targeting the community and was an infringement on its constitutional rights.


The Waqf bill also proposes inclusion of two women members on all state Waqf boards and also on the Central Council.