Hyderabad, Sept.26 (Hydnow): Hyderabad City Congress Committee (HCCC) Minorities Department Chairman Sameer Waliullah on Saturday slammed Wakf Board Chairman Mohammed Saleem for showering praise on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao for issuing G.O. Ms. No. 15 that promises protection of Wakf properties.
“There is nothing new in GO. Ms. No. 15 as the sale or transfer of Wakf properties is already banned as per the Central Wakf Act,” he said while pointing out that the Section 104-A of Central Wakf Act, 1995 says, “Prohibition of sale, gift, exchange, mortgage or transfer of Waqf property. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law of the time being in force or any Waqf deed, no person shall sell, gift, exchange, mortgage or transfer any movable or immovable property which is a Waqf property to any other person.”
Sameer Waliullah said that the latest GO was nothing but an attempt by CM KCR to divert people’s attention from the demolition of two mosques in the State Secretariat. He said both the mosques in the Secretariat were Wakf properties and the State Government has illegally encroached upon them. “It would have been ideal if the Chief Minister would’ve issued orders returning the possession of land belonging to the Secretariat mosques to the Wakf Board. Instead, he issued orders to implement something which is already in implementation,” he said.
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The Congress leader said that the Wakf Board Chairman has crossed all the limits of sycophancy in praising the Chief Minister. “In his 5:26 minutes long video, the Wakf Board Chairman has praised CM KCR and his son & Minister K.T. Rama Rao almost 26 times. He has beaten Home Minister Mahmood Ali in sycophancy in praising the Chief Minister,” he said.
Sameer alleged that Mohammed Saleem should’ve resigned from his post following his failure to protect the Wakf properties in Telangana which includes Ek Khana Masjid in Amberpet, two mosques in the Secretariat, one Ashoorkhana and other religious structures. The Wakf Board did not even lodge a formal police complaint in any of these cases so as to restore those properties and also to take legal action against the agencies who illegally encroached upon Wakf properties. Instead of being apologetic for inaction and not performing his duties, Wakf Board chairman Saleem is praising CM KCR to seek re-nomination as Member of Legislative Council, he said.
He reminded that the TRS party, in its election manifesto for 2014 elections, had promised to give judicial powers to Wakf Board. Even after six years, Wakf Board was neither given judicial powers nor a single inch of encroached Wakf land was restored, he said.
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The Congress leader demanded that Saleem either perform his duties as the Wakf Board or resign from the post on moral grounds. (Hydnow)