Govt should clear Wakf properties of encroachers: Gadkari

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Sep 7 (UNI) Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari today demanded that the state government should recover all Wakf properties from encroachers and utilise the same for the benefit of the Muslim community.

Mr Gadkari was here to attend a conference organised by the Maharashtra Committee for Protection of Wakf Properties.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, he said the government should recover these properties, worth around Rs 10,000 crore, and utilise the same for the social, economical and educational upliftment of Muslims.

Muslims are facing problems like poverty and unemployment, he said, while demanding that the state government should issue a white paper on Wakf properties, institute an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge of the High Court, and take concrete steps to clear the properties of encroachments.

He alleged that Congress and NCP activists had encroached upon Wakf property in several cases.

The Congress and the NCP were also eyeing the properties owned by Hindu ''maths'' and temples and wanted to move a bill in this regard but the move has been stalled by the Opposition, Mr Gadkari said.

The Muslims were being ''used'' by the Congress to gain power but have been neglected all these years, he alleged.

UNI