BJP charges Asaduddin Owaisi of “misleading” Muslims over Waqf amendments bill

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. File | Photo Credit: PTI

The BJP, on Sunday (September 22, 2024), asked Majlis leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi to desist from “misleading” the Muslim community on the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill by the Central Government and claimed that the effort is only to provide “better representation to different sections from the minority community as well as to protect the properties.”

Addressing a press conference at the state office on Sunday (September 22, 2024), former MLC N. Ramchander Rao charged that Mr. Owaisi appears to be supporting vested interests involved in deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement of the Waqf properties across the country over the years. Furthermore, he said the MP is also “scared” of losing his own stranglehold over the properties.

“The Center has no other intention other than to provide representation to the women, sects like Shias, Pasamanda Muslims and non-Muslims in the Waqf Boards. These communities had never been represented before in the Waqf Boards,” he said.

“People across the country are supporting the amendments including intellectuals from among the Muslims and those in the backward class categories. Already, lakhs of petitions have been received seeking the amendments,” claimed Mr. Rao. But, the Majlis leader has been spreading “false information” about the intended amendments so that the current corrupt and illegal activities by the Waqf Boards can continue even if it goes against the interests of the Muslim community, he said.

The former MLC also stated that the ongoing party membership drive launched on September 2 nationwide has received a good response despite festivals and heavy rains. It has already crossed the six lakh mark in TG and nationwide about 4.2 crore have enrolled themselves as members.

The effort is to target 50 lakh memberships with at least 200 per polling booth. All the top leaders will be visiting the booths to enhance the membership drive and camps will be held by different wings of the party from September 25 to motivate the general public to take the membership, he added.