Vijayawada: The stage is set for a grand public meeting by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Andhra Pradesh here on Sunday (November 3) to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.
The public meeting titled ‘Tahaffuz-e-Awqaaf’ will highlight how state interference poses a threat to religious freedom.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president Syed Sadatullah Husaini, All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokeperson S. Qasim Rasul Ilyas will be the key speakers at the public meeting, for which Jamaat has invited Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanadh of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and leaders from various Muslim organisations.
The grand gathering of Muslim scholars and community leaders will discuss Waqf protection.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Andhra Pradesh president Muhammad Rafeeq, TDP leader and former chairman of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Sharief Ahmed, Jamaat-e-Islami Director Rizwanur Rahman Khan, president of Andhra Pradesh Muslim Advocates Association Jawahar Ali, president of Association for Protection of Civil Rights, Andhra Pradesh chapter P Srinivas, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Andhra Pradesh Vice President Shaukat Faheem, state president, WPI K.M.A. Subhan, socio-political analyst Suresh Pulugujju, Naazim, Jamia Kalimia Madarsa Lateeful Hasan, Ameer Ahl-e-Hadees, Vijayawada City Moulana Naseer Ahmed Umri and Vice-President, AP Jamiat-i-Ulama Hind Moulana Hussain Ahmed will address the public meeting.
Moulana Abdul Qadeer Nayeemi, imam-o-khateeb, Shahi Masjid Vijayawada; Kalimullah Khan, state president, AP Ideal Youth Movement; P. Roshan Zameer Khan, state president, Students Islamic Organisation of India, AP; Moulana Abdul Qadeer Umri, Sadar, Wifaqul Ulema, AP; Abdul Razzak, state president, Movement for Peace and Justice, AP; and Md. Khaleelullah, city president, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Vijayawada will also address the meeting.
The public meeting is scheduled to be held at Kummaripalem, Eidgah grounds from 5 p.m. There will be a separate gallery for women.
The choice of Vijayawada for the public meeting is significant as it is expected to impress upon the TDP the need to oppose proposed amendments to the Waqf Act.
TDP, which is heading the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, is a key partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
A delegation from AIMPLB, led by its General Secretary, Maulana Mohammed Fazlurrahim Mujaddidi, had met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on October 23 and urged him to oppose Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Parliament.
Accompanied by Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md Farooq and former chairman of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Mohammed Ahmed Shariff, the leaders of various Muslim organisations presented a memorandum to Naidu.
The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of their objections to the amendments proposed by the Narendra Modi government to the Waqf Act.
The TDP chief assured the Muslim leaders that the party would take an appropriate decision after a discussion over the issue.
With 16 MPs, TDP is the second largest party in the NDA after the BJP.
Naidu, whose party is sharing power with BJP and Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh, had assured Muslims during the election campaign that the TDP would never compromise on the interests of Muslim community.
