AYODHYA: Amidst frenetic activity for UP Sunni Waqf Board elections scheduled on March 6, there’s a curious lull in the Shia Waqf Board, whose tenure ended in May last year, but there’s no talk of elections even 10 months after the state government took control over the Board.
Talking to TOI, chief executive officer of Shia Waqf Board, Dr Naseer Hasan, said, “Elections to the Shia Waqf Board can be held only after the state government issues a notification or there is a court order. Elections to the Sunni Board were necessitated by Allahabad High Court’s order, quashing the September 30, 2020, directive of the additional chief secretary minority welfare and waqf to extend the board’s tenure.” Top sources in the Board told TOI that ongoing investigations into corruption in functioning of the Shia waqf board has delayed elections.
“Among the 13 Waqf Board members, Bukkal Nawab and Shadab Fatima, who were elected from MLA/MLC quota, have resigned. Akhtar Hasan Rizvi, member of Rajya Sabha was elected from MP quota. Rizvi was the lone member from MP quota as there was no other Shia Muslim MP from Uttar Pradesh. Aalima Zaidi and Afshaan Zaidi were elected from the Bar Council quota and Maulana Azim Hussain and Wali Haiser were nominated by the then state government,” said a Shia Board official.
On May 21 last year, the state government took charge of the Shia Waqf Board, and allowed Naseer Hasan to continue as chief executive officer.
In November last year, CBI registered a case against former chairman of Shia Waqf Board, Waseem Rizvi, for alleged illegal sale, purchase and transfer of waqf properties, cheating, criminal intimidation and criminal breach of trust.
Talking to TOI, state minorities affairs minister Mohsin Raza, said, “We are conducting elections to Sunni Waqf Board as there is an order from the High Court. However, there is no proposal yet of conducting elections to the Shia Board.”