Caretaker govt withdraws grant for Waqf Board, Fadnavis says there will be a probe
A government order to disburse ₹10 crore to the Waqf Board was quickly withdrawn after BJP leaders expressed concerns over its timing post-election.
MUMBAI: An ill-timed Government Resolution (GR) implementing a decision taken by the Mahayuti government in June, on disbursal of funds to the Waqf Board, caused a flutter on Friday, resulting in the order being withdrawn within 24 hours. On Thursday, the GR had cleared the disbursal of ₹10 crore for the Waqf Board, of a total allocation of ₹20 crore, announced during the Monsoon Session of the state government.
The GR, issued by the state minority development department, stated: “The fund of ₹20 crores was allocated for the State Waqf Board in supplementary demands of budget. Accordingly, the approval has been given for the distribution of ₹10 crores to the Chief Executive Officer, State Waqf Board, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, for the strengthening of board.”
The order was an administrative formality but it took the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by surprise as the party had campaigned on a pro-Hindutva agenda during the recently held assembly elections. While it had made the allocation in June, the BJP pushed its Hindutva agenda during its election campaign, even questioning the functioning of the board in the run-up to the polls.
When the GR was issued on Thursday, it left the BJP state leadership wondering how they would explain their apparent change in stand. Moreover, the GR had approved the disbursal of funds just five days after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept to power in the state.
Media reports and reactions on social media on the GR sent BJP leaders into a huddle on Friday, to discuss damage-control. Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis blamed the state administration, saying it had erred. “Since there is an interim government in place, it was not suitable for the administration to issue the order to allocate the funds to the Waqf Bord. So the chief secretary has immediately withdrawn the order. Once a new government takes charge, it will examine the matter,” said Fadnavis.
State chief secretary Sujata Saunik issued an order to withdraw the GR, which was also deleted from the state government’s website. “We will wait for the new government to be formed,” said Saunik.
A social media post by Keshav Upadhye, chief spokesperson of the BJP, stated, “It seems administration has issued order and it will take corrective action in this matter. As a result, state administration was forced to withdraw the order.”