Cong, JD(S) demand CBI probe into Wakf scam

Minorities Commission chairperson needs psychiatric help, they say

Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose names figure in the Minorities Commission report on encroachment of Wakf properties worth crores of rupees across the State, on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into the scam.

They also accused Commission chairperson Anwar Manippady of bringing out an “irrational and illogical report” without conducting an investigation. 

The Opposition members demanded that the Commission report be placed before the Legislature for discussion. They said they had come to know about the alleged irregularities from media reports published on Tuesday. The MLAs used the choicest of words to criticise Manippady and alleged that he had crossed his brief.

Manippady submitted his report on irregularities in and encroachment of Wakf properties to the chief minister on Monday. The report claimed the irregularities were to the tune of Rs two-lakh crore. He has named at least a dozen prominent Congress politicians and a couple of JD(S) MLAs in the scam.

Raising the matter, C T Ravi (BJP) sought to know from the government whether the report was true. JD(S) MLA and former Wakf minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the money reportedly involved in the scam was equivalent to that of two State budgets. 

“We have read about the contents of the report only in newspapers. My name is mentioned.

Let the names mentioned in the report be officially announced. Let Justice Santosh Hegde probe the scam. Let there be a capital punishment to those who have misused Wakf properties which belong to the government,” Khan said.

He said while all top Muslim leaders were mentioned in the report, former minister Mumtaz Ali Khan of the BJP had been left out. Khan’s party colleague Qamarul Islam, who demanded a CBI probe into the scam, said the main encroacher of the Wakf properties was the government.

Congress MLAs Tanvir Sait and N A Haris, too, demanded a CBI probe. Their party colleagues T B Jayachandra and Siddaramaiah said they failed to understand how Manippady came to the conclusion that such large-scale encroachments had taken place. What mechanism did the chairperson adopt to conduct the investigation, they asked.

Syed Yasin, Congress member and son-in-law of C K Jaffer Sharief, whose name also figures in the report, said: “The chairperson must be (mentally) abnormal to submit such a filthy report. He needs psychiatric help. The Commission is meant for socio-economic and educational uplift of the poor belonging to the minority community. Instead, he has maligned the reputation of respectful leaders.”

Names expunged

In the Council, there was a furore following a BJP member mentioning the names of politicians implicated in the report. Eventually, the Council chairperson expunged the names.

BJP members Madhusudan, Ganesh Karnick and Krishna Bhat, among others, sought a discussion on the Commission’s report. 

Madhusudan said he was making the submission based on media reports, and reeled out the names of politicians mentioned in the report.

This did not go down well with Congress members Motamma, Sudarshan, S R Patil and Veeranna Mattikatti who vehemently argued that names can’t be mentioned when the report was yet to be tabled in the Council.

JD(S) MLC M C Nanaiah, backing Congress’ stand, sought action against the encroachers.

Despite the names expunged by Chairperson D H Shankaramurthy, Madhusudan took the names of the “indicted” politicians and officers again. He instructed Madhusudan to continue the discussion without taking any names.

“You people (BJP) want to finish off Muslims. You are all set to destroy the nation. Don’t talk about protecting the community,” thundered JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti.

After some fiery arguments from the Treasury Benches and the Opposition, Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, on behalf of the chief minister, made an attempt to reply to the members’ queries. When the Opposition demanded a reply from the chief minister, Kageri said Gowda would examine the report and table it in the House.

‘Ansari misused Wakf land’

Former minister Iqbal Ansari has allegedly misused a property donated to the Wakf Board to run an educational institution, reports DHNS from Koppal.

Secretary of the State BJP Minorities Morcha Syed Ali on Tuesday told mediapersons that Ansari has encroached upon two acres of Wakf property on survey no 59/2 at Gangavati Nagar to run an Industrial Training Institute under the Gangotri Education Trust. 

The land was donated by Alla Bhaksh Saba in 1983 to Jamia Masjid at Islampur for setting up a Muslim education society. He said the land had not been registered in the name of Wakf Board.