AHMEDABAD: Tensions escalated during a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Board Bill when AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concerns regarding the Surat Municipal Corporation building, resulting in a heated exchange with Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi.A high-level meeting of the 20-member JPC was convened in Ahmedabad in which a comprehensive presentation underscored the bill’s potential benefits and impacts. The session included key participants such as the Gujarat Wakf Board Chairman and other prominent figures, further intensifying the discussion. In March 2016, Abdullah Jarullah, a resident of Sodagarwad, Surat, filed an application with the Gujarat State Waqf Board seeking the registration of a property known as Mughalsarai, located in Surat City Ward No. 11, CT Survey No. 1504. The property, which houses office space for the Surat Municipal Corporation, was claimed as Waqf land. The Surat Municipal Corporation has held possession of the disputed property since 1867. However, due to the case’s age and lack of complete records, only copies of the Surat Municipal Committee’s proceedings were submitted. This issue later sparked a heated clash between AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi. “Suggestions have been provided by the Gujarat government delegation to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment 2024 constituted by Parliament,” said Minister of State for Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghvi, regarding the JPC meeting in Ahmedabad. “As per JPC rules, details of these suggestions cannot be shared. The committee will release them to the media in due course.” When asked about the verbal spat with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi during the meeting, Sanghvi added with a smile, “JPC discussions are not meant to be shared.” The Home Minister refrained from commenting on the verbal spat, but Congress MLA Imran Khedawala from Jamalpur-Khadia subtly alluded to the incident. Congress MLA Imran Khedawala stated, “Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi presented to the committee that a site belonging to the Surat Municipal Corporation was registered with the Waqf Board. The Tribunal had ruled on the matter, but the judgment was later set aside.” Khedawala added, “Owaisi sought details on how many sites are currently registered with the Waqf Board, stressing the need for clear evidence. He also inquired about the handover of the site to the Municipal Corporation and requested further information on the issue.” During the presentation of the Waqf Board Bill, a discussion ensued, with Congress MLA Imran Khedawala, calling for the bill’s withdrawal. Khedawala further stated, “We had requested that all the relevant information be provided. As a Muslim MLA from Gujarat, I have opposed this bill today and made my case before the committee. We are firmly against the Waqf Board bill.” He added, “I presented 14 key suggestions, a copy of which has been submitted to the JPC and handed to the chairman today. I have urged that these points be considered and included in the discussion.” According to sources, the Waqf Board in Gujarat oversees more than 45,000 properties, including over 39,000 immovable assets. The extensive list features not only graveyards, mosques, and madrasas, but also residential homes, agricultural land, shops, plots.
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