Waqf board is real estate company, how can Asaduddin Owaisi compare it with Tirumala: TTD chairman BR Naidu

NEW DELHI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu on Monday dismissed AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s comparison between the TTD and the Waqf Board, labeling the statement as "baseless." Naidu asserted that the Waqf Board operates like a "real estate company" and questioned Owaisi’s reasoning in equating it with Tirumala, a revered Hindu temple.

Naidu said, “This statement is baseless, the Waqf Board is a real estate company... how can he compare it with Tirumala? Tirumala is a Hindu temple. There have been longstanding demands that non-Hindus should not be employed in Tirumala, and we are considering this issue in our first board meeting.”

Owaisi had earlier criticized the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, questioning the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council. He argued that if only Hindus can serve on the TTD board, the Waqf Board should similarly restrict its trustees to Muslims. “The TTD Board, which governs a Hindu institution, has no non-Hindu members. So why is the Modi government mandating non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board?” he stated.

Owaisi’s comments followed Naidu’s statement last week, where he expressed plans to discuss relocating non-Hindu employees working at Tirumala to other departments or offering them voluntary retirement options.

The proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, introduced in August 2024, aims to reform the Waqf Board, addressing allegations of mismanagement and encroachment. The bill seeks to implement digitization, stricter audits, and clearer legal mechanisms to protect waqf properties.