The Wakf land issue got a new political twist on Friday. Dismissing the NCP’s demand for a CBI probe in the issue, the BJP has now asked that the Special Investigation team probe the matter.
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Vinod Tawde said that considering the number of complaints regarding irregularities related to the Wakf land, a SIT must be appointed to probe the charges.
Mr Tawde said that all dealings of the Wakf board from the past ten years should be probed. “After the arrest of N.D. Pathan, chief executive officer of the Wakf board, the irregularities in its functioning have once again surfaced. Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari raised the issue of irregularities of Wakf land in Legislative Council in 2007 too. Consequently, judicial commission under former judge A.K. Shaikh was appointed by the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh,” Mr Tawde pointed out.
The Opposition leader also demanded an IAS-level officer for the post of CEO of the Wakf board. He said that after corrupt former CEOs like Pathan and Sadique Ali Qadri, the government should consider appointing IAS officers instead of depending on additional collector rank officers only.
Attacking the NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik’s demand for a CBI probe, Mr Tawde said that the party wanted the CBI to probe the issue and Congress was reaping all the benefits despite them being in a coalition together.