KASARAGOD: A mosque committee in Chemnad grama panchayat has accused six-time MLA of Kasaragod CT Ahammed Ali (76), popularly known as CT, of trying to usurp one-acre land it bought to build a school and a madrasa in 1984. He is now the state treasurer of the IUML.
Members of Ansar-ul Islam Juma Masjid at Kombanadukkam say they feel cheated by Ahammed Ali's refusal to return the land, valued at Rs 3 crore, to the mosque.
On Wednesday, the mosque committee held a press conference in Kasaragod saying they were forced to go public with their grievances because they did not get any help from the IUML and Chemnad Jamaath.
In 1984, Ansar-ul Islam Juma Mahal (mosque) committee raised Rs 50,000 from believers and bought one acre at Kombanadukkam.
The mahal committee had registered Mahin Schamnad Memorial School Committee to set up a madrasa and a government-aided school on the land. "But we made the mistake of registering the property in CT's name. We trusted him because he was our MLA, and the president of our mahal committee and also the school committee," said Abdul Khader C H, secretary of Ansar-ul Islam Juma Masjid Mahal Committee.
The mahal committee registered the property in the name of CT Ahammed Ali, "the present president of Mahin Schamnad Memorial School Committee" on January 20, 1984.
The committee set up a madrasa but did not start the planned primary school on the property.
When the Kombanadukkam mosque committee kept pressing Ahammed Ali to transfer the land back to the mosque, the former IUML MLA registered a new committee under the Societies Act with the address at Kolaati in ward no. 2 of Chemnad gram panchayat.
"CT appointed 11 members to the committee and made his younger brother (CT Abdul Khader) its president. He then declared that the new committee is the owner of the land and neither Kombanadukkam mosque committee nor Chemnad Jamaath has any say in the matter," the secretary said.
Of the 11 members, only two are from Kombanadukkam and even they are loyalists of T Ahammed Ali, said the mosque secretary.
'Mix of politics and faith'
IUML leader C T Ahammed Ali has been the president of Chemnad Jamaath for the past 35 years. Around 99% of the people of Kombanadukkam are voters of IUML, said Abdul Khader. "IUML leaders raise money for the mosque and also the party when they go abroad," he said.
Similarly, the IUML leaders had raised money for the mosque from NRIs in West Asian countries.
When the Kombanadukkam Mahal committee pressed CT Ahammed Ali to return the land, the Chemnad Jamaath had formed an enquiry committee. "It concluded that Kombanadukkam Mahal owed only 33% of the land," Abdul Khader said.
In a general body meeting, 95% of members of Ansar-ul Islam Juma Masjid said Ahammed Ali should return to the land. After that, the mosque committee members went to Panakkad and met the leadership of IUML but got little support. CT Ahammed Ali did not respond to calls made to his phone.