Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make non-Muslims members of Waqf Board when the bodies running the affairs of temples say that non-Hindus can’t become their members.
The Hyderabad MP referred to the statement of newly-appointed chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) that all employees should be only from the Hindu religion.
The Andhra Pradesh government this week appointed B.R. Naidu chairman of TTD Board which runs the affairs of Tirumala Temple located in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. It is the richest temple of Hindus in the world.
Owaisi pointed out that Section 96(2) of TTD Act says that only those who profess Hindu religion will be appointed as members.
The new chairman of TTD has said even employees of TTD should be Hindus. “Not only here, even Kashi Vishwanath Board says that all officials should be from the Hindu religion, starting from Commissioner and then going down the hierarchy. Many states have stated for these institutions that if any officials change religion and become non-Hindu, they will be removed from the board,” said Owaisi.
“If you’re only focusing on your religion, we don’t have a problem with it, but why are you interfering in our religion? Why is PM Modi making a non-Muslim member of Waqf Board?” asked the AIMIM chief.
The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 proposes inclusion of non-Muslims in Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards.
“Not even a single member of the 24 members of TTD Board is a non-Hindu. The new chairman of TTD says that the people working there should be Hindu. We are not against this, we just have an objection to the fact that Narendra Modi’s government is saying in the proposed Bill that in the Central Waqf Council, it will be mandatory to have 2 non-Muslims members. Why are you bringing this provision in the Waqf Bill? TTD is a board of the Hindu religion and Waqf Board is for the Muslim religion. There should be parity…When the trustees of TTD cannot be Muslims, how will a non-Muslim member be on the Waqf Board,” asked Owaisi.
The AIMIM president said Modi government wants to usurp Waqf properties by giving powers to collectors and by having non-Muslims as members of Waqf Boards. “This proposed Waqf amendment is not to protect Waqf properties but it is aimed at destroying Waqf properties,” he said.
Owaisi said in the name of irregularities, the government can’t take away them and appoint non-Muslims. He referred to reports of irregularities in Hindu endowments.
He alleged that Prime Minister Modi wants to implement RSS agenda through amendment in the Waqf Act.
The MP said the BJP and Sangh Parivar were spreading the lie that Muslims own 5.5 lakh acres of land. “Muslims don’t own Waqf properties. Allah is the owner of these properties,” he said.
Owaisi pointed out that Hindu endowments in only states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have more than 10 lakh acres of land.
