"Waqf board is real estate company, how can Owaisi compare it with Tirumala?": TTD Chairman

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 4 (ANI): Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman BR Naidu on Monday criticized AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's statement regarding Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, saying that the Waqf board is a real estate company and questioned how he can compare it with Tirumala.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman BR Naidu on Monday criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's statement about the TTD and termed it baseless. Naidu said that the Waqf Board is a real estate company and questioned how Owaisi can compare it to a revered Hindu temple like Tirumala.
Speaking to ANI, TTD Chairman BR 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 demands for many years that non-Hindus should not be in Tirumala. It is not my personal (opinion)... Sanatana Dharma says only Hindus should be there. We are working on that and we will decide in the first board meeting."
On Saturday, AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Modi government's proposed Waqf amendment bill, questioning the mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the central Waqf Council.
Owaisi questioned that if Muslims cannot be trustees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) then how can a non-Muslim be in the Waqf board?
Addressing a press conference AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, "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...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 2 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?" he added.
His comments came after newly appointed Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Chairman BR Naidu on Thursday said he would prioritise discussions with the government about employees of other religions working at Tirumala, considering whether they should be transferred to other departments or given voluntary retirement.
"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," he said.
The Waqf Act, 1995, which was created to regulate waqf properties, has long faced allegations of mismanagement, corruption and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha this August, seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)