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New Delhi:
In an apparent bid to reach out to the minorities, BJP President
Nitin Gadkari today wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
demanding that his government take steps to deal with encroachments
on Wakf properties.
"It is my request to you to take
effective steps to free all Wakf properties which have been
encroached across the country so that these can be used for welfare
measures which the Muslim community needs today," Gadkari said in
his letter.
He further stated that he has directed BJP-ruled states to take the
needed steps in this direction at the earliest and hoped that the
Central government would do so too.
Gadkari's letter to the PM is being
seen as a move to strengthen the party's minority base, especially
after his statement after taking charge of the party's affairs in
December that he wanted to increase the party votebank by 10 per
cent and the minorities formed a major target group in this task.
Gadkari pointed out that there were 600,000 acres of land and
500,000 registered properties under Waqf administration in the
country.
He added, 50 years back, the cost of
Wakf properties was estimated to be around Rs 5,000 crore.
"Sachar Committee has estimated these properties to be worth Rs 1.20
lakh crore now," Gadkari said in the letter.
The BJP President pointed out that if
freed, these properties or the money derived from sale of any of
them can be used to finance education of students from the minority
community, building community centres and lodges, maintaining
dargahs and cemetries, providing funds for widows, and other
benefits.
Giving a suggestion, Gadkari said these properties should be exempt
from the Rent Control Act so that they become more profitable.
Gadkari further said that the Waqf
funds should also be used for welfare activities, like setting up
orphanages and financing the marriages of poor girls of the
community.
The BJP chief said in his letter that
"some pseudo-secularists who claim to be the well-wishers of Muslims
and other elements" had failed in protecting Waqf properties.
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