Jagan reiterates YSRCP's continued support for Muslim welfare, vows to oppose Waqf Bill

Hyderabad: Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Thursday pledged his continued support for the Muslim minorities welfare and vowed to oppose the Waqf Bill, which has raised concerns about land encroachment issues.

He held a meeting with Muslim minorities at his residence in Tadepalli on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said that the YSRCP has always focused on addressing the issues of Muslim minorities. He emphasized that the party has consistently worked for their welfare and development and will continue to support them. He assured that the concerns raised about the Waqf Bill would be strongly represented by the party's MPs in Parliament. He also mentioned that party's Rajya Sabha member V Vijayasai Reddy, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, would take the lead in presenting their objections in Parliament.

Representatives of Muslim organizations expressed their concerns, stating that over 70 per cent of Waqf lands are currently encroached upon. They stated that the new provisions in the proposed Waqf Bill aim to prevent these lands from being reclaimed by the rightful beneficiaries. The representatives further mentioned that the new Wakf Bill is designed in a way that could weaken the entire system. They appreciated the YSRCP's opposition to the Bill and noted that it was only due to the party's stance that the Bill was referred to the JPC by the union government.

Former MLA from Kurnool, Hafeez Khan highlighted the steps taken by the Jagan-led government for the protection of Waqf lands. He explained that making the Waqf Board stronger and putting all the land details online is a big development. He also mentioned that GO No 60 was issued for the first time in the country to stop Wakf land encroachment.