Wakf takes up Muslim boycott issue in Nizamabad

Hyderabad: The Wakf Board has taken a serious note of social boycott of Muslims in Velpur mandal of Nizamabad district for refusing to handover the graveyard land to the Village Development Committee (VDC) for the pavement of a Mandir situated on the backside of Idgah.

Wakf Board chairman Mr Mohammed Saleem instructed CEO, Mr Abdul Hameed to send a team of Board officials and resolve the issue with the help of the district collector.

An Idgah, graveyard, Ashoorkhana and a mosque are situated adjacent to each other in Velpur mandal headquarters and a land measuring 4 acres and 12 guntas is notified for Wakf and there was a Hindu temple behind the Wakf land.

The Village Development Committee wanted to develop a pathway across the graveyard land to reach the temple and local Muslims were being forced not to oppose it.

Local Muslims alleged that the Village Development Committee had demolished the graves to create a trail and when they resist, the VDC decided to boycott the Muslims and asked the locals not to purchase goods from the Muslim traders. This has continued since Monday.

It is pertinent to mention that the minorities welfare department had released Rs 8 lakh on June 17 for erecting a boundary wall to protect the Wakf property and minister for roads and buildings Mr Vemula Prashant Reddy laid down the foundation stone, but the works were stopped on November 19 due to objection raised by the VDC.

Wakf Board chairman, Mr Mohammed Saleem instructed the chief executive officer, Mr Abdul Hameed to send a team of officials with the documents and address a letter to the Nizamabad district collector requesting him to protect the Wakf properties.

He said the stand taken by the VDC is illegal and it is not appropriate to take the Wakf land forcefully.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen  (AIMIM) has asked its local leaders to refer the matter to the authorities. Yakutpura MLA Mr Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri has also interacted with the district collector, Nizamabad Mr Ram Mohan Rao and commissioner of police, Mr Kartikeya and requested them to intervene in the matter and end the social boycott of Muslims in Velpur.