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PRINT HEADLINE: Delhi Wakf Landgrab builds worry in Sonia
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At the heart of the controversy are two plots of land, which a number of prominent Muslim clerics alleged have been encroached upon by the land mafia. (Pic by AFP)-----
NEW DELHI: Two instances of alleged encroachment on Wakf property in the national capital, both seemingly anodyne, have prompted a damage-control effort by the top Congress leadership, including party president Sonia Gandhi and her influential political secretary Ahmad Patel. The episode illustrates the ruling party's concern over the possible fallout of the alleged landgrab on the 2014 elections.
At the heart of the controversy are two plots of land, which a number of prominent Muslim clerics alleged have been encroached upon by the land mafia. One is an eight-acre plot in the tony Jor Bagh area, which also happens to be the constituency of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. The second is a two-acre plot in Mehrauli in South Delhi. The approximate value of both the land parcels is over Rs 3,000 crore.
Delhi Wakf Board has Filed Complaint
But the reason for the protests by community leaders is the religious significance of the two plots. The Jor Bagh land has the oldest "Karbala" in the country - a religious shrine for the Shia community, and the Mehrauli plot is supposed to house the 500-year-old Ghausia mosque - a shrine for the Sunnis.
The Delhi Wakf Board, a government body, filed a complaint in April this year, asking the police to investigate and register a case of cheating, fraud and misappropriation against persons involved in the alleged landgrabbing in Mehrauli. An FIR on the matter was registered two-and-a-half months later, on June 23.
The complaint - the result of a representation the body received from those agitating against the alleged landgrab - named two officials in the office of the then lieutenant-governor of Delhi, Tejinder Khanna, and another official in the office of Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath. The FIR filed in June does not name the officials. ET is not naming the officials pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Delhi Police.
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi confirmed that a FIR has been registered, but declined to share the status of the investigation. MA Usmani, the official who sent the complaint on behalf of the Delhi Wakf Board, confirmed that the board approached the police on the instructions of its then chairman. While the episode has so far attracted little national attention, the Congress leadership is clearly taking it seriously.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has personally intervened in the matter and has had two meetings to resolve the issue. On her directive, a committee was set up comprising Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Minority Affairs Minister Rahman Khan along with representatives of the Muslim community. But Maulana Kalbe Jawad, a Lucknow-based Shia leader, said the committee hasn't met.
The community leaders said they have held more than 20 meetings with Ahmad Patel on the matter. Patel had also organised two meetings on the issue with Pulok Chatterjee, the principal secretary to the prime minister. However, the clerics said Chatterjee was also unable to resolve the problem. Patel declined comment on the issue.
Muslim clerics said this isn't the only instance of alleged misappropriation of Wakf land, but with elections round the corner, the two instances will become major a major poll issue.
On Sunday, a day-long protest meeting was held by community leaders in Raebareli, the constituency of Sonia Gandhi. On Tuesday, a massive road show to showcase Congress' alleged "double speak" would start from Lucknow and travel to Raebareli and Amethi, the latter being the constituency of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress vice-president.
"Four months ago, Sonia Gandhi met us and assured that the issue will be resolved in four-to-five days. We have had several meetings with her political secretary Ahmad Patel, but have only got assurances. These are very sacred shrines, and not only has Congress shown scant regard for our sentiments, it has also insulted our clerics who were protesting, and registered false cases against them.
Congress representatives such as Rahman Khan have been beseeching us again to not protest and resolve the issue through dialogue, but that is what we have been doing over the past year-and-a-half.
The time for dialogue is over and we will now be launching massive protests, which will start from the heart of Congress in Uttar Pradesh - Amethi and Raebareli - and move to the rest of UP and Delhi," said Maulana Jawad. Other influential religious leaders, including Maulana Wali Rahmani, a Bihar-based cleric, and Maulana Arshad Madni from Deoband have also raised the issue with the Congress leadership.
Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had also intervened in the matter on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, and given a written assurance that the matter would be resolved at the time of elections in Uttar Pradesh in early 2012. But Maulana Jawad said the promise was made only to thwart protests by Muslims against Congress during the state elections.
Rahul Gandhi's intervention, however, had resulted in an FIR being filed in the Jor Bagh land matter February last year. Dikshit told ET that the matter is "complicated" and was being examined by the minority commission.
V Narayanswamy, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, who also looks after the department of personnel - the administrative ministry for Central Bureau of Investigation - told ET that he had forwarded the complaints against government officials allegedly hand-in-glove with the land mafia for "appropriate action".
Eye on 2014 elections, Congress to resolve incidents of encroachment of Delhi Wakf property
----PRINT HEADLINE: Delhi Wakf Landgrab builds worry in Sonia
By Rohini Singh, ET Bureau | 27 Aug, 2013, 10.25AM IST
48 comments
At the heart of the controversy are two plots of land, which a number of prominent Muslim clerics alleged have been encroached upon by the land mafia. (Pic by AFP)-----
NEW DELHI: Two instances of alleged encroachment on Wakf property in the national capital, both seemingly anodyne, have prompted a damage-control effort by the top Congress leadership, including party president Sonia Gandhi and her influential political secretary Ahmad Patel. The episode illustrates the ruling party's concern over the possible fallout of the alleged landgrab on the 2014 elections.
At the heart of the controversy are two plots of land, which a number of prominent Muslim clerics alleged have been encroached upon by the land mafia. One is an eight-acre plot in the tony Jor Bagh area, which also happens to be the constituency of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. The second is a two-acre plot in Mehrauli in South Delhi. The approximate value of both the land parcels is over Rs 3,000 crore.
Delhi Wakf Board has Filed Complaint
But the reason for the protests by community leaders is the religious significance of the two plots. The Jor Bagh land has the oldest "Karbala" in the country - a religious shrine for the Shia community, and the Mehrauli plot is supposed to house the 500-year-old Ghausia mosque - a shrine for the Sunnis.
The Delhi Wakf Board, a government body, filed a complaint in April this year, asking the police to investigate and register a case of cheating, fraud and misappropriation against persons involved in the alleged landgrabbing in Mehrauli. An FIR on the matter was registered two-and-a-half months later, on June 23.
The complaint - the result of a representation the body received from those agitating against the alleged landgrab - named two officials in the office of the then lieutenant-governor of Delhi, Tejinder Khanna, and another official in the office of Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath. The FIR filed in June does not name the officials. ET is not naming the officials pending the outcome of the inquiry by the Delhi Police.
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi confirmed that a FIR has been registered, but declined to share the status of the investigation. MA Usmani, the official who sent the complaint on behalf of the Delhi Wakf Board, confirmed that the board approached the police on the instructions of its then chairman. While the episode has so far attracted little national attention, the Congress leadership is clearly taking it seriously.
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Congress President Sonia Gandhi has personally intervened in the matter and has had two meetings to resolve the issue. On her directive, a committee was set up comprising Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Minority Affairs Minister Rahman Khan along with representatives of the Muslim community. But Maulana Kalbe Jawad, a Lucknow-based Shia leader, said the committee hasn't met.
The community leaders said they have held more than 20 meetings with Ahmad Patel on the matter. Patel had also organised two meetings on the issue with Pulok Chatterjee, the principal secretary to the prime minister. However, the clerics said Chatterjee was also unable to resolve the problem. Patel declined comment on the issue.
Muslim clerics said this isn't the only instance of alleged misappropriation of Wakf land, but with elections round the corner, the two instances will become major a major poll issue.
On Sunday, a day-long protest meeting was held by community leaders in Raebareli, the constituency of Sonia Gandhi. On Tuesday, a massive road show to showcase Congress' alleged "double speak" would start from Lucknow and travel to Raebareli and Amethi, the latter being the constituency of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress vice-president.
"Four months ago, Sonia Gandhi met us and assured that the issue will be resolved in four-to-five days. We have had several meetings with her political secretary Ahmad Patel, but have only got assurances. These are very sacred shrines, and not only has Congress shown scant regard for our sentiments, it has also insulted our clerics who were protesting, and registered false cases against them.
Congress representatives such as Rahman Khan have been beseeching us again to not protest and resolve the issue through dialogue, but that is what we have been doing over the past year-and-a-half.
The time for dialogue is over and we will now be launching massive protests, which will start from the heart of Congress in Uttar Pradesh - Amethi and Raebareli - and move to the rest of UP and Delhi," said Maulana Jawad. Other influential religious leaders, including Maulana Wali Rahmani, a Bihar-based cleric, and Maulana Arshad Madni from Deoband have also raised the issue with the Congress leadership.
Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had also intervened in the matter on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, and given a written assurance that the matter would be resolved at the time of elections in Uttar Pradesh in early 2012. But Maulana Jawad said the promise was made only to thwart protests by Muslims against Congress during the state elections.
Rahul Gandhi's intervention, however, had resulted in an FIR being filed in the Jor Bagh land matter February last year. Dikshit told ET that the matter is "complicated" and was being examined by the minority commission.
V Narayanswamy, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, who also looks after the department of personnel - the administrative ministry for Central Bureau of Investigation - told ET that he had forwarded the complaints against government officials allegedly hand-in-glove with the land mafia for "appropriate action".
