Despite KCR Promise, Shaikpet Dargah Land Not Yet Restored

Hyderabad, Dec 30 (Maxim News): KCR said during the rule of Rajasekhara Reddy the Shaikpet Dargah and Biyani Dargah lands were sold, but now in KCR’s rule, they are not yet restored.

The Muslim community has suffered heavily after the formation of the Telangana state by way of not fulfilling the various promises given by Chief Minister K. Chandra Sekhar Rao. It may be recalled that in the month of October 2021, KCR had said that Telangana had suffered injustice during the rule of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy saying that it was during YSR’s term that the Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali Dargah and Biyani Dargah lands were sold. TRS activists led by Mahmood Ali had staged a dharna fighting for the lands then, KCR recalled.

Before the Supreme court directive, the Minority Rights Protection Forum of Telangana (MRPF) had demanded that the government withdraw the case from the Supreme court and hand over the lands to the Telangana Waqf Board. They had also threatened that if the government failed to do so, it could become a bone of contention in the next elections. However, the government went ahead with the case and finally the apex court ruled in favor of the government.

Abul Fateh Syed Bandagi Badesha Quadri, a Waqf Board member, said he believes the failure to reclaim Waqf lands was their collective failure. According to him, this happened due to policy paralysis and inefficient Board members who were at the helm of affairs. “Rectification of government revenue records is the duty of the government, This is where the government should be held responsible.

Speaking about the disputed land parcels that are now vested with the government due to bonafide clerical errors in revenue records, Quadri said. “The Chief Minister plays a crucial role to protect the interests of the TSIIC and the commitment made by the earlier government. The lands were given away by the Corporation assuming it is their land, though we all know it is Waqf land, in a court of law, it is the Waqf board that had to prove ownership and that’s where they failed.

It may be recalled that in the month of February 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that 1,654 acres of Manikonda village belonged to the State government, rejecting ownership claims of the Waqf Board. Some of the major allottees who were awarded land through e-auction and went on to establish their institutions on the contentious Manikonda jagir include the International School of Business (240 acres) Maulana Azad Urdu University (200 acres), Wipro (49 acres), AP cine Workers Colony (67 acres) Emaar properties (483 acres.)

The supreme court, in its order, categorically declared that the land would vest with the state and the TSIIC was free from encumbrance. The apex court also declared as invalid a notification issued by the Waqf Board claiming ownership of the land as it did not belong to Dargah Hazrat Hussain Shah Vali.

Recollecting KCR’s promise that he would reclaim the land, Lubna Sarwath said, “The Waqf Tribunal maintained that the Lanco Hills was a Waqf property and the same was maintained by the High Court. However, the Supreme Court disposed of the two cases saying that the land is government land, and ruled against the Waqf Board. KCR had promised to fight the case and reclaim the land that belonged to the Waqf Board. This is yet another promise of the KCR that was made for political gains to win the support of the Minority community. (Maxim News)

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