NEW DELHI: Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition, on Wednesday urged the central government to provide flexibility to states in the composition of Waqf boards.
TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti spoke on behalf of the party during debate in the Lok Sabha on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and supported the bill.
“We hope the Centre would consider the suggestion of giving flexibility to the state governments with regard to composition of boards in their respective states in the interest of Muslim women, youth and downtrodden. This step will ensure the TDP’s dedication of inclusive growth and welfare of communities,” Tenneti said, according to news agency PTI.
Headed by Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP enjoys significant support among the Muslim community. Therefore, it has been cautious in openly supporting the bill, despite being an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the NDA, and has a minister in the TDP-led government in Andhra Pradesh.
On March 27, Muslim bodies boycotted Naidu’s Iftar party to protest his “tacit” support for the Waqf Amendment Bill. On the call given by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim leaders had stayed away from the Iftar and dinner.
In October last year, an AIMPLB delegation had met Naidu and urged him to oppose the bill in the Parliament.
However, on the eve of the Waqf Bill debate in the Lok Sabha, TDP issued issued a three-line whip to all its MPs, directing them to be present in the House and support the government’s stand.
TDP has 16 members in the Lok Sabha, making its support crucial for the BJP, which, unlike in the first two terms of its ongoing tenure, does not have a majority of its own in the Lower House of Parliament. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which is also an NDA member and has 12 Lok Sabha MPs, too, has been under pressure from Muslim bodies to oppose the Waqf Bill.
The proposed bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
Waqf boards oversee 8.7 lakh properties across 9.4 lakh acres in India, valued at Rs 1.2 lakh crore. The bill aims to remove Section 40 of the Waqf Act, which allows the boards to determine Waqf property status.
