Panipat: Haryana government’s order to provide the status equal to the Minister of State to the Chairman of Haryana State Waqf Board, Raheesh Khan, MLA, has been challenged in the Haryana and Punjab High Courts. Advocate Jagmohan Singh filed the writ petition in this connection and alleged that the number of ministers is already more in Haryana in proportion to the members of the assembly. The whole matter is pending with the court. In this situation giving status equal to the Minister of State to Chairman of Haryana State Waqf Board will add to the already increasing number of ministers. It must be noted that the number of Haryana MLAs is 90 proportionately 14 members could become ministers. However, there are 16 ministers including Waqf Board Chairman.
On the other hand, Muslims are also opposing the government order which states that Raheesh Khan would be entitled to all the facilities being provided to a Minister of State. All the expenditure involved would be borne by the Waqf Board itself. Hafez Murtuza Tyagi who leads the protestors says that no other minister of state is bound to spend then why the burden is laid on Waqf Board. He said the minister of state, gets a pilot vehicle, security guard, villa, travelling expenses and communication expenses which amount to more than 10 lakh per month. In the situation when Waqf Board does not have money to give a grant to madaris and pay salaries to imams, pay electricity bills, how can it handle the burden of lakhs of rupees?
Shameem Ahmed said the income earned by the Waqf Board should be spent on the welfare of Muslims not on revelries to welcome Chairman Waqf Board. It must be noted that the Chairman after he was given ministerial status was welcomed at the head office of the Haryana Waqf Board in Ambala with drums and trumpets. Everybody was surprised to see that, and was thinking will the board money be spent on drums and trumpets?