Dy CM alienated prime Wakf land: Congress

Hyderabad, Nov 29 (INN): The Congress party has alleged that Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue) Mohammed Mahmood Ali was directly involved in the alienation of prime Wakf land belonging to Chunti Shah mosque at Osmanpura, located exactly opposite to his house. Of 4,990 sq mt, as much as 1,372 sq mt Wakf land has been alienated to private parties by the Revenue Department by declaring it as government land.

A Congress delegation, led by Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee (Minorities Department) Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, visited the Chunti Shah Mosque on Sunday. They offered Zohar prayers at the mosque and also offered 'Fateha' at the grave of Deputy CM's father, buried in the same graveyard. The Congress delegation comprised of GHCC General Secretary Syed Nizamuddin, Chand Pasha, Hameed Khan, Abdul Samad, Abdul Raheem, Jithender Mohite and others.

They interacted with different persons, including Mosque General Secretary Basith Nawaz Khan, on the status of Wakf land. "Mosque had a landed property of about 9 Acres and 40 Guntas. But almost entire land has been encroached upon by private parties. It is shocking that the encroachers enjoyed open support of Revenue Department, which is headed by Deputy CM Mahmood Ali. The land was first declared as government land and then alienated by issuing 'pattas'," said Abdullah Sohail.

Instead of removing the encroachments, the Tehsildar of Charminar recommended conversion of graveyard to poramboke land pertaining to the Chunti Shah mosque at Osmanpura. On March 28 this year, the Hyderabad District Collector issued those orders. Two months later, the Revenue authorities issued 19 Pattas for the Wakf land. "This cannot happen without the consent of Minister concerned. Mahmood Ali was a regular 'Musalli' of the Chunti Shah mosque and all his ancestors, including father, are buried in the adjacent graveyard. He was completely aware of the encroachments. As the Deputy CM (Revenue), he could have removed all the encroachments in one day. However, he hatched the conspiracy to alienate the lands by using his own department," Abdullah Sohail said while demanding a high-level probe into the issue.

The Congress leader said that the alienation of Chunti Shah mosque land has exposed the hollow claims of TRS Government on the protection of Wakf properties. "When Mahmood Ali could not protect prime Wakf land in his neighbourhood, he cannot be not expected to be honest towards other properties. He has misused his position as Deputy CM (Revenue) and comfortably alienated a prime land. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao should order an enquiry into all the cases wherein Wakf land was given to private parties across Telangana through Revenue Department since formation of new State," Abdullah Sohail demanded.

The local youth reportedly expressed anger over the development and asked the Congress leaders to take up the issue further to restore the Wakf property.