Hyderabad: A complaint has been filed against the appointment of Azmet Jah Bahadur, the great grandson of Hyderabad’s last Nizam (Osman Ali Khan), as the Chairman/ President of the Awqaf Committee of 69 Waqf institutions by the Telangana Waqf board. The complaint has been raised, claiming that he is not an Indian national, or a foreigner, and hence his appointment is in violation of the Waqf Amendment Act of 1995 – 2013
The complaint by Murtuza Moosavi has been sent to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Ministry of Law and Justice, Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Chairperson Central Waqf Council Kirren Rijju, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Governor of Telangana, chief minister of Telangana, Telangana State Waqf Board chairman and CEO.
Last year, Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the grandson and heir of Hyderabad’s last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, passed away, following which his hereditary titles were passed on to his son Azmet Jah. Mukarram Jah held titular position of the eight Nizam until 1971, when monarchies or such titles were formally abolished by the government of India. Mukarram Jah’s father was Azam Jah, one of Osman Ali Khan’s sons, who was married to Durru Shevar, the daughter of the last Ottoman Sultan from Turkey.
In his complaint against the appointment of Azmet Jah, Moosavi also questioned how the Telangana State Waqf Board can have powers and jurisdiction to issue orders for three different states where the Awkaf Committee of the Nizam has properties. He added that under the new act, no foreigner can be a Mutawalli (manager of waqf property) in India, and questioned how the Telangana State Waqf Board issued proceedings notifying “Walashan Azmet Jah Bahadur a foreign national as Chairman/ President of Awqaf Committee of 69 Waqf institutions..”.
His complaint read, “Recently the Telangana State Waqf Board has issued Proceedings of the Chief Executive Officer Telangana State Waqf Board Dated 06-10-2023 the notification declaring the Towliath – (69) Waqf institute across (3) States under the Towliath of HEH The Nizam- Transfer of Towliath from HEH The Nizam in favour of Awqaf Committee HEH The Nizam and incorporating the names in Awqaf Committee U/sec 42 of Waqf Act 1995 – Orders issued. and the same has been published in the The Telangana Gazette R.N.I. No TELMUL/2016/73158 HSB No. 1051/2023-25. Dated Thursday February 8, 2024.
“We request to the Government of India to bring transparency in waqf administration and to take action against the Telangana State Waqf Board Members who passed this impugned resolution No 444, dated 27-09-2023, and also take strict action against the Waqf Board officials for giving false report and Proceedings…”
Moreover, Moosavi also said that after the merger of the erstwhile Hyderabad state in the Indian Union, the HEH The Nizam “is running parallel Waqf Board in the State as Awqaf Committee..”. The complainant also sought an inquiry by the central agency into the issue.
