Muslim Heads Call Wakf Board Special Officer Anti-Telangana

Over a dozen heads of religious institutions and Mutawallis (caretakers) of Wakf properties on Monday tried to give a regional twist to the suspension and booking of criminal cases against erring Mutawallis by the Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board.

Addressing a joint press conference here, the religious heads alleged that Wakf Board Special Officer Shaik Mohammad Iqbal had a bias against the Telangana region, and immediately upon taking charge, started action against the Mutawallis and Sajjada Nasheen of Dargahs located only in the Telangana region.

However, he also took action against a few Mutawallis and Sajjada Nasheen of Dargahs located in the Seemandhra region only after his bias was highlighted, they alleged.

The religious heads also alleged that the Special Officer took action in respect of Dargahs only by highlighting the chronic cases which have already been settled by various courts.

"The Special Officer is very keen to target a particular section of people because he is having a school of thought different from that of those he is targeting. His actions are at the behest of land grabbers, black mailers and encroachers. He is acting under the influence of former bureaucrats who do not have faith in the Dargahs. His actions similar to the activities of the VHP and RSS," they alleged.

The press conference was addressed by the representatives of Amarat Sharia, Association of Sajjadagaan, Mutawallian wa Khidmat Guzaraan-e-Wakf, Anjuman Tulaba-e-Khadeem Jamia Nizamia, Anjuman-e-Fidaiyan Shaikul Islam, Bazme Shabban, Anjuman-e-Quadria and Sunni United Forum of India.

Prominent scholars including Jamia Nizamia Chancellor Mufti Khaleel Ahmed, Majlis-e-Ulema Deccan president Moulana Syed Qubool Pasha Shattari, Moulana Sayeed Quadri, Moulana Syed Aulia Hussain, Bandagi Pasha Quadri and others addressed the media.

They also objected to the filing of police complaints against the suspended Mutawallis.

"The Special Officer, who is an IPS officer, is working just like a police officer and looking everybody as a criminal. Whenever he is taking action against the Sajjada Nasheen and Mutawallis, he is filing a complaint before the concerned police station and before the Central Crime Station. Under the provision of the Wakf Act, unless and until the enquiry is concluded, no Mutawalli can be declared guilty," they said.

They said that the Special Officer did not take any action to restore the Wakf properties encroached upon by the government. (INN)