A delegation of Muslim leaders, including representatives of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and president of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) N. Chandrababu Naidu in Amravati on October 23 and urged him to oppose Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Parliament.
Accompanied by Minister for Minority Welfare N. Md Farooq and former chairman of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Mohammed Ahmed Shariff, the leaders of various Muslim organisations presented a memorandum to Naidu.
The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of their objections to the amendments proposed by the Narendra Modi government to the Waqf Act.
The meeting was significant as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a key partner in the Modi government. The TDP chief assured the Muslim leaders that the party would take an appropriate decision after a discussion over the issue.
With 16 MPs, TDP is the second largest party in the NDA after the BJP. Naidu, whose party is sharing power with BJP and Jana Sena in Andhra Pradesh, had assured Muslims during the election campaign that the TDP would never compromise on the interests of Muslim community. TDP’s Muslim leaders are hopeful that Naidu will dissuade the Modi government from going ahead with the amendments.
The meeting with Naidu comes at a time when the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is reported to be in the final phase of its consultation with stakeholders on the Waqf Amendment Bill. The JPC is likely to present its report to Lok Sabha in the next session.