Amid continued nationwide protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu assured the Muslim community in the state that his government will ensure the protection of Waqf properties. However, he did not specifically refer to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill during his speech.
At an Iftar party hosted by the state government in Vijayawada on Thursday, March 27, Naidu said that his government had revived the Waqf Board that had turned defunct under the previous YSR Congress Party government.
“I assured that our government will protect the properties of the Waqf Board. We will maintain communal harmony and help Muslim families progress financially. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will always stand by Muslims,” Naidu said.
He also noted that his government had increased the honorarium for Imams to Rs 10,000 and for muezzins to Rs 5,000.
However, some Muslim organisations boycotted Naidu’s Iftar party to protest the Union government’s controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill on a call given by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The Bill has been criticised for handing over control of Waqf properties to the Union government while reducing the autonomy of the national and state Waqf boards.
AIMPLB had called for a boycott of Iftar parties hosted by the state government in Vijayawada and other places in the state to demand that the TDP prove its commitment to making the Union government withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill from the Parliament.
Muslim organisations are planning a protest in Vijayawada on April 2 to demand that the TDP urge the BJP-led Union government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
In December 2024, the Chandrababu Naidu government dissolved the state Waqf Board nominated by the previous YSRCP government. Citing the prolonged non-function of the Board due to various reasons, the government has said it is dissolving it in the interest of maintaining good governance, protecting Waqf properties and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Waqf Board. TDP leader Abdul Aziz was later elected as the state Waqf Board Chairman.
(With IANS inputs)
