Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced in the state assembly on Wednesday that the government would investigate if ‘Shamlat Deh’ land from the state’s any village had been transferred to the Waqf Board. His statement addressed increased concerns over the Peer Bodhi land on the Rohtak-Gohana road.

“We will get it probed in the entire Haryana… If Shamlat Deh land (village land used for common purposes) from any village has been transferred to the Waqf Board anywhere, a thorough investigation of the same will be conducted,” Nayab Singh Saini voiced in the state assembly.

Saini announced that a committee, led by the Rohtak divisional commissioner, will be formed to investigate the Peer Bodhi issue. The committee will also include the Karnal divisional commissioner and the Rohtak deputy commissioner as members. He added that it would thoroughly review all relevant facts and records related to the matter.

Congress member B B Batra brought up a concern in the House, asking three crucial questions. Was there actually a 125-year-old pond at Peer Bodhi? Was this land handed over to the Waqf Board? And most importantly, did the land mafia illegally fill up the pond and take over the land?

The chief minister assured that the government was taking a severe look into the Peer Bodhi issue, which a member of the House had brought up. Initial investigations disclosed that 1967-68, the land was classified as ‘Shamlat Deh.’ In 1990, the Centre transferred it to the Punjab Waqf Board, after which it was registered as a cemetery and now belongs to the Waqf Board. Saini emphasised that transferring Shamlat Deh's land to the Waqf Board is a grave concern.

“Who were the forces and individuals responsible for the transfer of the Shamlat Deh land to the Waqf Board, and how it was carried out. Shamlet Deh's land cannot be transferred to the Waqf Board,” He stated that any similar land transfers that occurred in the past anywhere in the state would also be investigated.