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Report on Wakfs scam not accepted

Last Updated 29 July 2013, 23:06 IST

The State government has not accepted the report submitted by the Karnataka State Minority Commission KSMC) on encroachment of Wakf properties as it is “an individual’s report, not the entire commission’s,” Minister for Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Qamar-ul Islam has said.

In his reply to a question in the Legislative Council on Monday, Islam said the report was drafted by the then Chairman, Anwar Manippady, “without involving any KSMC members”. Besides, no other member, except for the chairman, signed the report. Hence, it cannot be considered as the KSMC report, the minister maintained. Manippady had submitted the report on March 26, 2012.

It is said that the report provides details on alleged encroachment of Wakf properties in 11 districts and puts the value of the scam at Rs two lakh crore. Interestingly, Manippady had named Islam and several other Muslim leaders belonging to the Congress and the JD(S) for “siphoning off” Wakf properties and selling them off for a song.

Islam also stressed that the previous governments, headed by D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar, had also not accepted the report.

The minister’s reasoning was criticised by the Opposition members who objected to an “additional statement” made by him. He, however, sought to make amends towards the end of his reply: “However, the government will examine afresh the report... and initiate corrective measures regarding protection of Wakf properties in the State.”

Senior JD(S) MLC remarked, “If the government has not accepted the report, and if the previous government also did not accept it, then why make a statement which suggests that the government will look into it? In legal terms, the report is basically non-existent.”
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, H K Patil who came to the rescue of Islam, said the particular portion of the statement would be withdrawn. But it was not done till late in the evening.

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(Published 29 July 2013, 23:06 IST)

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