Asaduddin Owaisi reacts to ‘only Hindus’ at Tirumala remark: ‘But Modi govt wants non-Muslim…’

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has responded to the Tirupati temple chairman’s statement that only Hindus should be employed in the temple. Asaduddin Owaisi called out the Modi government and questioned the need to include two non-Muslim members in the central Waqf Board when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board only has Hindus.

Asaduddin Owaisi asked if Muslims are not allowed to be trustees of TTD, then why a non-Muslim should be included in the Waqf Board.

"Not even a single member of the 24 members of TTD Board (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) is a non-Hindu...The new Chairman of TTD says that the people working there should be Hindu…,” ANI quoted Owaisi as saying.

He added, “We are not against this, we just have an objection to the fact that Narendra Modi's government is saying in the proposed bill of Waqf that in the central Waqf Council, it has been made mandatory that two non-Muslim members should be there...Why are you bringing this provision in the Waqf bill?”

“TTD is a board of the Hindu religion and Waqf Board is for the Muslim religion. There should be parity...When the trustees of TTD cannot be Muslims, how will a non-Muslim member be on the Waqf Board?" Asaduddin Owaisi asked.

The newly-designated chairman of TTD Board B R Naidu on October 31 said all those who work at Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, should be Hindus. Naidu said he would speak to the Andhra Pradesh government on how to deal with staff members belonging to other religions, whether they should be sent to other government departments or given VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme).

“I did not go to Tirumala even once in 5 years because I felt that it did not have its sanctity. I intend to just work there not with the intention of gaining anything. I will talk to govt about the people from other religions, working in Tirumala on first priority whether to shift them to other departments or give them VRS," ANI quoted Naidu. 

The Waqf Act was introduced in 1995, which is a law that governs the administration of Waqf properties in India.

In August, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The bill aims to bring reforms and transparency and ensure a legal framework to reclaim illegally acquired properties.