In light of the ongoing stir created over the statement by the All India United Democratic Fund chief Badruddin Ajmal, who alleged that the Parliament House as well as the Delhi Airport, has been built on the property owned by the Waqf Board, the sources present in the Delhi Waqf Board on Friday revealed that they do not hold any such document, which can prove the latter's claim.
It is pertinent to note that, Dhubri MP from Assam Badruddin Ajmal created a controversy earlier by alleging that the Parliament House and surrounding areas in Delhi, including Vasant Vihar and even the airport, are built on the property of the Waqf Board. However, the Delhi Waqf Board has rejected the AIUDF chief's claim citing that there is no official document present which can stand the same.
The Waqf Board revealed while it has heard about a Mazar which falls around the airport, but no document can prove the airport was built on the land, they asserted.
Let us tell you that in a meeting organized by Jamiat Ulama in Assam, AIUDF leader Maulana Badruddin Ajmal had earlier strongly criticized the attitude of the government in the matter of Waqf properties. Speaking against the Waqf Bill, Badruddin has demanded that the Waqf land be handed over to the Muslim community. He said that the government should hand over all the Waqf land to Muslims. If the government gives us land, we will make arrangements for education, health and orphanages for the Muslim community. For this, we do not need any favour from the central government.
However, the statement was strongly rebuked by the BJP leaders. While, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that "Parliament and municipal buildings, airports, cities and villages need protection. India has the largest Waqf properties in the world. We must use them for the welfare of women, children and backward groups within the Muslim community." The BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that Badruddin Ajmal is engaging in appeasement politics because his entire vote bank supported Congress in the Lok Sabha election, leading to his defeat.
“I would like to tell these leaders – do not insult the Constitution while indulging in appeasement politics. The Constitution upholds secularism, and secularism means we cannot lease out the sovereignty of the country to any private body. If it were up to them, they would claim every land as Waqf land. This is why the government is working to bring the Waqf Amendment Act, so that it truly benefits poor Muslims,” Bhandari added.
