State govt rejects Jawad’s demand, issues notification
LUCKNOW: The state government on Tuesday issued a notification for the election of the UP Shia Central Waqf Board thereby rejecting the demand of Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad to reschedule the same after the month of Ramzan.
While t he gover nment claimed that 19 out of 25 voters had no problem with holding the election on July 11 (which falls in the month of Ramzan), Maulana Jawad said it was not feasible for voters to travel and cast votes while on fast.
“Nineteen of 25 voters have given us an undertaking that they are open to the idea of conducting election on July 11, if need be,” said Devesh Chaturvedi, principal secretary (minority welfare) in a government press communiqué. Thus the election would be held on July 11, he added.
The board works towards management, regulation and protection of the Waqf properties. The election would be held for members of the board which includes two members of parliament (MPs) from the Shia community, two members of legislative assembly and two members of legislative council (MLC) and two caretakers of Waqf properties with over ` 1 lakh revenue.
As per the schedule, the nominations for the election would be filed on July 4 while scrutiny of the candidates would take place on July 8. The names can be withdrawn on July 9.
Earlier in the day, Maulana Jawad demanded that the elections should be held after Ramzan, fearing that voters couldn’t travel up to state capital owing to fasts. When asked about the undertaking by the voters, Maulana Jawad said this was a ploy by the state government which, he claimed, was hand in glove with land sharks in selling the Waqf property worth crores of rupees at throwaway prices.
“These are fake names. The government should postpone the election. Or else, they would end up bringing corrupt people on board,” he added.