By TCN Special Correspondent,
Lucknow: Shia Muslims converged at Dargah Hazrat Abbas in Lucknow denouncing the tirade against Chairman, Shia Central Board of Waqfs (SCBW), Maulana Kamaluddin Akbar on Thursday. The protestors termed the campaign against Akbar as move to destabilise the board for their vested interests.
The SCBW is facing crisis these days with a section of board members opposing Maulana Akbar’s move to grant permission for construction of a nursing home on waqf land. The nursing home is stated to be coming up at the entrance of Imambara Guframa’ab situated on Tulsidas Marg Chowk in Lucknow. “This will undermine the sanctity of the Imambara and the graves situated in it will lose their existence. It is a commercial venture and is being pushed at the cost of Imambara and religious sentiments,” said member SCBW, Imran Rizvi who is spearheading the campaign. Another member Advocate Kunwar Iqbal Haider also has raised a banner of revolt against the chairman. “Several inquiries related to land scam of waqf properties have been pushed to back burner. The waqf in Agra where whole land has been disposed off by the caretaker but he had been allowed to go scot free,” said Haider.
The members also alleged that no meetings of the board are being held and the important files are being taken home by the chairman. Even the salary of the staff has not been distributed for past two months. “The chairman is a faculty member of Allahabad University and it is a matter of probe that he has taken no objection from the authorities before assuming the charge,” said Haider.
Meanwhile, outgoing chairman and member of SCBW, Waseem Rizvi stated that it was unimously decided in a meeting that all powers are vested with the chairman. “Now when he has been given sweeping powers, the chairman is personally responsible for all the deeds,” said Rizvi.
The present chairman, Akbar is reported to be a relative of eminent cleric and Imam-e-Juma, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad. The SCBW assumes significance as it is the custodian of lands most of them in prime localities which are termed as ‘aukafs’ and are meant for the benefit of the community. Lately with spiralling land prices board’s several decisions for changing the land use have brought criticism.