Amid nationwide protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu assured the Muslim community that his government would protect Waqf properties. However, he avoided any direct mention of the contentious bill during his speech at a state-hosted Iftar in Vijayawada on March 27.
Naidu highlighted his government’s revival of the Waqf Board, which he said had become defunct under the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government. “I assure that our government will protect Waqf properties, maintain communal harmony, and support Muslim families’ economic progress. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will always stand by Muslims,” he stated. He also announced an increase in the honorarium for Imams to ₹10,000 and for muezzins to ₹5,000.
However, in what appears to be the first major act of dissent against the TDP-led Andhra Pradesh government over the Waqf Bill, several Muslim organisations boycotted the Iftar in protest. Responding to a call by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), they demanded that the TDP take a clear stand against the Bill, which has been widely criticised for curbing the autonomy of national and state Waqf Boards while granting the Union government more control over Waqf properties.
Muslim groups have announced a protest in Vijayawada on April 2, urging the TDP to press the BJP-led Union government for the Bill’s withdrawal. The growing discontent signals a possible political challenge for Naidu, whose party is a key ally of the NDA government at the Centre.
Notably, in December 2024, the Naidu government dissolved the state Waqf Board, previously nominated by the YSRCP, citing its prolonged inactivity and governance concerns. TDP leader Abdul Aziz was later elected as the new Waqf Board Chairman. (With IANS inputs)
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