HYDERABAD: Responding to the recent statement of newly appointed Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman, BR Naidu, that Waqf Board is a real estate company, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that “BJP and Sanghis” should do research before spreading canards.
“BJP & Sanghis, spreading this canard about Waqf Boards, should do some reading & no non- Hindu can become a member in various states’ Endowment Boards, even the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner cannot be a non-Hindu,” Owaisi stated in a post on X.
The Hyderabad MP cited four Hindu endowment boards - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Odisha - claiming that they control over 10 lakh acres of land.
“The Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions & Endowments Act 1987 controls around four lakh acres of land. Telangana Charitable & Hindu Religious Institution & Endowments Act 1987 controls 87,235 Acres of Endowment (Temple) land as reported by CAG report for year ended March 2018; Tamil Nadu has TNHR&CE Act 1959 as per the policy note published by Govt of TN the Total land under TNHR & CE was 4.78 lakh Acres in 2022,” said Owaisi.
Earlier, BR Naidu, who is set to assume charge as TTD chairman on Wednesday, condemned Owaisi’s recent statements and wondered how the senior politician could compare TTD to Wakq Boards.
On Saturday, speaking to media persons, Owaisi had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s plan to appoint non-Muslims on Waqf Boards by bringing in the Wakq (Amendement) Bill, 2024.
BR Naidu on October 31, asserted that all the Tirumala employees should be Hindus and he would propose to the government that that people of other religions working in TTD should either be shifted to other departments or given VRS.