Wakf boards should perform, else will be dissolved: Najma

Taking note of grabbing of Wakf land at various places, the government on Wednesday sent out a strong warning to Wakf boards, saying that they should perform else they would be dissolved.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla also suggested “blackening” the face of a Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA for allegedly encroaching Waqf properties in Bhopal.

Addressing inaugural session of the ‘National Conference of Chairpersons and CEOs of State Waqf Boards’ here, she asked representatives of the Madhya Pradesh Waqf board to organise a protest against legislator Arif Aqueel for allegedly grabbing Waqf properties worth Rs 500 crore.

She noted that “some board members” have encroached upon the properties of boards in different states and made a strong pitch for action against them. She expressed anguish over representatives of Waqf boards from Delhi, UP and poll-bound Assam not turning up for the conference and accused them of lacking “interest and seriousness” towards issues concerning the communities.

“If any Waqf board is not performing, then I will recommend its dissolution. I will ask Chief Ministers of state governments to form new Waqf boards as the existing ones are not performing,” she said.