Shia and Sunni clerics have welcomed the state government’s decision of dissolving the Waqf boards of both communities and a probe by the CBI.
The clerics said the dissolution and probe will help breaking the vice like grip of the mafia backed by some political parties on the huge assets of Waqf boards, running into thousands of crores of rupees.
Welcoming the Yogi government’s move, Sahar Qazi of Saharanpur, Maulana Nadeem Ahmed said, Rs Rs I welcome the move of the UP government. A Gang had occupied Waqf properties across the state. Both boards should be dissolved every five years and fresh faces should be inducted to break the hold of vested interests. The CBI probe recommended by the UP government will bring out large number of cases of financial irregularities and loot of Waqf properties during the previous SP and BSP regimes.’’
Prominent Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad said, “Better late than never. The corrupt and those who looted Waqf properties for decades are busy maligning the state government that it was attempting to take over Waqf properties but they are liars.’’
“Vested interests and those looted Waqf properties were given opportunity by the state government to explain their stand and prove their innocence. I am confident that the corrupt and the guilty would soon be brought to justice,’’ said Maulana Kalbe Jawwad.
Sources in the Minority Affairs department said that trouble was in store for senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan following the dissolution of Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards and the government recommending a probe into the financial irregularitis by the CBI.
The state government decided to dissolve the Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards and a CBI probe, on the recommendation of Central Waqf Council (CWC) - a body under Union ministry of Minority Affairs, which submitted a report in April.
The CWC report said that charges against the Chairman and members of Shia and Sunni Waqf Boards were very serious and the UP Government may appoint an administrator to take over these Boards.
A fact finding committee was set up by the CWC following a large number of complaints of financial irregularities in these two Waqf Boards received from the state during the previous Samajwadi Party reegime.
Under the Waqf Act 1995, the state government is empowered to supersede the Boards by invoking its powers under Section 99, appoint an administrator and order an inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act.
The CWC in its fact finding report had indicted Azam Khan of corruption, mismanagement and misuse of office. Khan was a powerful minister during the previous SP regime.
The CWC committee was headed by Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi, who is also the in-charge of UP and Jharkhand Waqf Boards. He had submitted the report to the UP government in April about both the Boards. The report gave a detailed account as to how Azam Khan, as minister, abused the powers to grab Waqf property in Rampur.
Besides recommending a CBI probe, the CWC report also said that the state government should bring a ‘White Paper’ in the Assembly on the rampant corruption in Waqf Boards and their abject failure to run the affairs as per aims and objectives as described in Waqf Act.