Lucknow, April 25: With an eye on Muslim vote bank, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav decried the UPA government’s decision to takeover Muslim waqf properties in the country, terming it as an anti-Muslim move which will further alienate the community from the mainstream.
“The Muslims have right over the waqf properties and UPA government’s move to takeover them in the garb of better management will deprive the Muslims of their just rights,” said Yadav while interacting with newsmen at party office in Lucknow on 23rd April.
As per reports, UPA government in a cabinet decision has decided to take over the properties owned by Muslim Waqf boards across the country. The property will be managed by agencies and the revenue will be shared in a ratio of 24 percent to Muslims while 76 percent to others.
“The UPA government’s decision clearly indicates that the beneficiary from the decision will be non Muslims and agencies who do not have right over waqf properties. It is not justified and efforts should be made to take confidence building measures so that Muslims do not feel alienated in the country,” said Yadav. He also stated that several Muslim organisations had met him and expressed their reservation over the issue and thus he had decided to oppose the move. “The parliament session will begin in July else we would have opposed it tooth and nail. The UPA government will not be allowed to go scot-free with such anti-Muslim directives,” said Yadav.
He stated that resentment is brewing among the Muslim community as they consider it as an infringement on their rights. “Let the waqf properties be owned by Muslims only and no division of revenue be done. Efforts should be done to remove encroachment from them by administration and hand over them to Muslims. Boundary walls should be constructed at government’s expense to protect them,” he added. Waqf Boards across the country hold the second largest land bank in the nation with most of them in prime localities lying unused or under heavy encroachment.
A clever Mulayam evaded all queries raised during the interaction regarding the ongoing CD controversy involving him and Bhushans. “I am not able to hear your voice and leave such things for a later stage. I have no objection if someone is using my name. All other questions had been clarified in detail by the party’s national general secretary Ramgopal Yadav,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Mulayam interacted with partymen in Lucknow instructing them to oust the BSP regime in the coming elections. He firmly ruled out any change in candidates’ list and claimed that all with winnability and clean image have been given party’s ticket. “Assembly elections will be held in January 2012 and it will be in seven phases. So be geared up for the elections,” he told partymen.
-Agencies