Report baseless: Ex-Wakf minister

Two prominent leaders of the minority community here on Saturday spoke in contrast, following the report on largescale irregularities in State Wakf Board tabled by the State Minorities Commission recently.

While former Wakf Minister from BJP Mumtaz Ali Khan denounced the report, Syed Nizam Ali, vice-president of Tipu Wakf Estate defended it.

Mumtaz Ali Khan, also the chairman of Tipu Wakf Estate, said chairman of State Minority Commission Anwar Manippady has made false allegations against honest officers and politicians, only to secure a ministerial berth. He has claimed the report has his own vetting, when it was prepared by the officers in reality, Khan said.

However, he said irregularities may have occurred but not to the extent of the facts tabled in the report. He also defended Mohammed Sanaulla, an IAS officer, who has been named in the report. Sanaulla is an honest officer. Instead, Manippady has lauded secretary to the minorities department Zameer Pasha and another officer Atheeq Pasha though they are in dock. He also said the report has been prepared without consulting the members of the commission.

Syed Nizam Ali vouched for the contents of the report further alleging that the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha K H Rahman Khan has leased out four acres and 23 guntas of land (Survey number 423) in Srirangapatna. There are many such instances involving leaders cutting across party lines who have misused Wakf properties. Mumtaz Ali Khan has been terming the report as baseless only to reap out the benefits in the offing, alleged Nizam Ali.

Ibrahim rubbishes charges

Congress leader C M Ibrahim on Saturday denied his alleged involvement in the Wakf Board scam. Ibrahim said the property in the survey number in question belonged to a person called in Benki Nawab, who acquired it in 1975. Ibrahim said at that time he was in jail as a political prisoner and has no connection with the allegations as mentioned in the report by Manippadi.

Ibrahim said if the State government doesn’t initiate necessary action against Manippady within seven days, he would file a defamation case against him.