Excelsior Special Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Specified Wakafs And Wakafs Properties (Management and Regulation Bill 2003) was passed by State Assembly amidst the noisy scenes and walkout by the Opposition, NC members. The House also witnessed a virtual physical duel between the MoS Power, Javed Mustafa Mir with NC legislators Ali Mohammed Sagar, Mushtaq Bukhari, Sharif-u-Din Shariq and Moulvi Iftiqar Hussain Ansari. Making strong arguments in favour of the Bill the Minister of Finance, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Muzaffar Hussain Baig said neither the State Government has any ill will against any body nor the Bill was brought for the political vendetta against any one. While NC members Moulvi Iftikar Hussain Ansari, Ali Mohammed Sagar and Abdul Rahim Rather challenged the Government authority in bringing the Bill saying it has no right to interfere in religious affairs of Muslims. The Minister also leveled serious charges against the NC leadership and blamed them for misusing the Auqaf property for political purposes. This was strongly contested by Ali Mohammed Sagar who offered to resign from politics and live as an ordinary citizen if Minister can prove his charges. The NC Legislator Mir Saifullah also withdrew his amendments later saying that with the reply of Minister, he does not feel necessity of bringing the amendments. Replying the arguments made by the NC members, the Minister said the main intention behind bringing this Bill is that Government wants to make the Wakaf Institute a healthy symbol of Muslim civilisation which will be used for the betterment of mankind as a whole. He said it is not necessary that Wakaf property will be only used for the betterment of Muslims because Islam believes in entire mankind and prayers are not only held for the welfare of Muslims but for all. Justifying the Government action in taking over the Muslim Auqaf Trust, he said its property worth crores of rupees has been misused over the years. This Trust is the greatest estate of Kashmiri Muslims but hundreds kanals of its land has been sold to the relatives of NC leadership, he added. He said at Idd Gah, Srinagar Auqaf possessed 628 kanals of land which has been sold on cheaper rates to the relatives of NC leadership. When NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather sought their name, the Minister disclosed that Ghulam Ahmed Mattoo has been allotted the land which costs lakhs of rupees for Rs 40,000, likewise, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Mattoo for 10,000, Haji Abdul Ahad Mattoo and Ghulam Nabi Mattoo were the other beneficiaries who were given favours by the Party, he disclosed. When Sharif -u-Din Shariq disputed these charges saying no land has been gifted to any body the Minister said, please don’t compel me I can even disclose the names of girls whom the Auqaf land has been gifted by the Party leadership. Scoring a point over the NC’s Moulvi Iftikar Hussain Ansari, who also tried to raise some point, the Minister retorted "Moulana don’t say any thing you know better what privately you have disclosed to me". "You can’t make any further argument on this point as you just said that Prophet Islam had forbidden gifting and disposing off the Wakaf property, he told the Member." And when Sharif -u-Din Shariq tried to intervene at this stage again the Minister said "I know how glad you will be feeling in the heart of hearts". Mr Baig alleged that there were irregularities in orchard land belonging to Auqaf Trust as well and the annual income which should have been hundreds of lakhs from this land has been shown far less. He also provided some figures to substantiate his charges in the House. He said the annual income of Auqaf which should have touched from Rs five to 10 crore has been shown less than three crore and I have never seen any balance sheet of this Trust so far. The Minister said only two months after we took over the income of Auqaf has increased by 37 per cent. He, while pointing towards Mr Sagar said the NC leader knows fully that during the radio talk, Mr Kochak, vice chairman of the Trust had said that he has not sanctioned any loan to his relatives from Auqaf. But next day he admitted it in a press conference. The Minister while strongly advocating for the Government decision in this regard said the revered Shrine of Hazratbal is not being properly maintained. The condition of roads in the Shrine is dilapidated and still you feel proud of your deeds, he asked the NC members. He accused the management of the Auqaf for selling the surrounding land of the Shrine which is worth lakhs of rupees for few coins. He said lakhs of devout Muslims come to offer their obeisance at the Shrine and we have to maintain it properly. He said same is the condition of the Shrine of Hazrat-e- Peer Dastgir and under such conditions will devotees come to offer prayers there,? The Minister wanted to know how the NC leadership was claiming that they will set up an Islamic University when they have 48 kanals of land. Is the University being constructed on 48 Kanals of land, he asked? The Minister in a satiric tone asked the NC members if you want to donate it on the name of God then give it to us and we will take care of it properly. He also asked the opposition members that they should not have any misgivings about the bill as tomorrow there can be any other Government in our place, which will head the Trust, he added. Mr Baig while lashing out at the opposition said it is strange that Indian people should pay tax and we will enjoy at their cost. We demand all concessions like Article 370, plebiscite and even take to arms what right we have for it’’, he argued. He asked those opposing the Bill should see towards the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. We also want to set an example that Muslim Wakaf has broader meaning. He said even Dr Farooq Abdullah did not agree while passing the Mata Vaishno Devi Bill that the Government was interfering in the religious affairs of the Hindus and had said that it was regulating the affairs. He said this law is for the benefit of the people of J&K and how far we will succeed in it the time can say. He even asked the opposition members that if they think that any body is not qualified to be its member they can challenge him in the Court as law has provision for it. Earlier opposing the Bill NC’s Moulvi Iftiqar Ansari termed the step un-Islamic. He said this being a sensitive issue so the Government should not interfere in it while giving the Islamic interpretation of word Wakaf. He said previously Wakaf was called as Auqaf-i-Islamia and later its name was changed to Wakaf Board. He, while demanding that the Muslim scholars of the country be consulted before bringing the Bill, said it is the question of crores of Muslims. This agitated the NC member Peer Mohammed Hussain, who asked the NC leader if Moulana gives such a speech in mosque, he will like to be in the audience but not in the House. However, Mr Ansari continued his speech quoting some books of Muslim scholars in support of his arguments on the basis. He said Government has no right to change the custodian of Auqaf for this purpose you have to call a Muslim congregation at Durgah on Friday. But countering him the MoS for Power, Javed Mustafa Mir stood up from his seat and asked Mr Ansari to reply his question. When the Minister was speaking enraged Mr Sagar of NC retorted back and asked him to sit down. This agitated the Minister who rushed towards the NC members. However, the situation was saved from taking a worst turn with the timely intervention of MoS Education Abdul Rehman Veeri, MoS Industries Raman Mattoo, Usman Majid and Peer Mohammed Hussain. Even the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed also pleaded with the Minister not to loose his tamper and maintain the cool. The heated exchanges were also witnessed between NC members and Yougesh Sawhney during the debate. Taking serious exception of charges levelled by the Minister of Finance, Mr Sagar told him if he will prove that the income of Auqaf was used for political purpose I will quit politics and live like an ordinary citizen. He said the losses were suffered by the Auqaf during the militancy period when it was controlled by Hurriyat and Ali Shah Geelani. These were the people who sold the Land at Idd Gah and not the NC, he added. Lambasting at Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, he said the CM had said it is a temporary arrangement as Auqaf is Muslim property and will be handed over to them. He wanted to know what was the fun of bringing the Bill. He accused the Government for taking over Auqaf for political vendetta and wanted to know why the other Muslim trusts in the Valley were not taken over by Government except this Trust. He said if the Government was sincere then it has promised to handover the body to people and it should fulfill the same. Sagar also refuted the allegation levelled by Yougesh Sawhney of Congress that the land was allotted at Bagh-e- Bahu Mosque during his period as Minister. Criticising the Government for bringing the Bill, Abdul Rahim Rather of NC said a vilification campaign was launched against Dr Farooq Abdullah and other Trustees of Auqaf prior to taking over the Trust to make the ground clear for the same. He said the allegations were levelled against Dr Abdullah that he had converted Auqaf as his personnel property without going through the history. He said NC has made a historical struggle for creation of Auqaf during the autocratic rule in the State. He alleged that the Government has resolved to take every thing that is on the name of late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah and termed totally undemocratic sending of police during night for taking over the Trust Management. Sharif-u-Din Shariq also termed the decision unIslamic based on personnel vendetta. He said this way the Government has set a wrong precedence for the States of Bihar and UP where the Muslim properties will also be taken in the same way. |
