Vijayawada, March 27 Muslim organisations boycotted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Iftar party here on Thursday over the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill.
On a call given by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim leaders stayed away from ‘Iftar and dinner’ at the Convention Centre here.
The apex body of Muslims called for a boycott of Iftar parties hosted by the state government in Vijayawada and other places in the state to demand that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) prove its commitment to making the Union government withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill from the Parliament.
Leaders of Muslim organisations, prominent personalities and religious scholars belonging to all the sects did not attend the Chief Minister’s Iftar. Only Muslim legislators of the TDP and heads and members of minority institutions like the Waqf Board, the Haj Committee, and the Urdu Academy were present.
Tight security arrangements were made at A Plus Convention, the venue of the iftar party. The iftar was followed by ‘Namaz-e-Maghrib’ or evening prayers and dinner.
Naidu joined the Muslim guests in the prayers and later had dinner with them.
One of the invitees even claimed that policemen and other security personnel outnumbered the guests. Anticipating a protest by some members of the community, the security personnel did not allow several invitees carrying invitation cards.
The invitee told IANS that even the intervention of Minority Welfare Minister N. Md Farooq did not help as the policemen were in no mood to heed to anyone. Even journalists were forced to turn away.
On the occasion, Chandrababu Naidu said the TDP had always worked for the welfare of minorities. Recalling the TDP’s close bonding with the minorities since its inception, he said the party was committed to secularism and uplifting minorities in all spheres of life.
He pointed out that it was during the TDP’s rule that Urdu universities were set up in Hyderabad and Kurnool, and Urdu was made the second official language.
The Chief Minister did not refer to the Waqf Amendment Bill during his speech but gave an assurance that Waqf assets would be protected.
Muslim organisations are planning a ‘dharna’ in Vijayawada on April 2 to demand that the TDP make the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is detrimental to the interests of the community and goes against the very purpose of Waqf.
Muslim Joint Action Committee leader Muneer Ahmed said they boycotted the iftar to convey their resentment to the TDP.
The AIMPLB feels that both the TDP and the Janata Dal-United, who are key partners of the Narendra Modi government, are not doing enough to make it withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill.
On a call given by the AIMPLB, Muslim organisations boycotted the iftar party hosted by Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar in Patna two days ago.
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