New Delhi: Union Minorities Affairs Minister Smriti Irani has hinted that things will be brought at par in governance wherever there is a slip and, on this context, maintained that actions could be taken on NAWADCO was given mandate by UPA “to make money, especially from the taxpayers” to help maintain and develop private waqf properties.
“It is your choice whether you want to maintain status-quo so that there are less personal consequences and you delve into the privilege of being politically more popular or you recognise that your country has voted a Prime Minister into service whose very disposition or declaration was to challenge the status quo,” she said.
Addressing a Summit programme of Republic TV, she said, “If the people of the country were happy with things as they were in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be Pradhan Sevak in 2014 and 2019. People expected the change and change is what we have delivered and will continue to deliver on”.
On the row over the creation of a body only to protect Waqf properties, Smriti Irani said, “That it is an anomaly is true that there is no other Section 25 company in the country where taxpayers’ money is used to maintain personal private properties of a particular religious dispensation in the country. I can only assure you that since this right is denied to every other religion in the country, I will bring it up to par. I will create equality”.
“NAWADCO is the only Section 25 company in the country that has been given the mandate to make money, especially from the taxpayers, to help maintain, develop, and economically resuscitate private waqf properties.”
She said the body was set up by the erstwhile Manmohan Singh Government during the fag end of its tenure in January 2014.
“I have never spoken to Dr Manmohan Singh about it. But I believe that there is a sense of outrage about it as you have rightly exhibited it. I cannot be irresponsible and make pronouncements about what I am to do with that particular institution. I can only say that I am sworn to uphold the Constitution and ensure that all Indians are equal. I promise you that equality is all that I will save,” she said.
Smriti Irani also stated – “As an administrator, everything you do has consequences”.
The main objective of a Section 25 company is to promote commerce, art, science, sports, education, research, social welfare, religion, charity, or any other useful purpose, provided the profits or any other income is used solely for promoting the objects of the company and not distributed among the members. These companies are not intended to make profits, and any income generated by them is solely used for the promotion of the objectives of the company.
No other religious community other than Muslims has such an organisation that develops religious lands and uses its profits for the welfare of people of the particular religion.
On elections in Amethi:
Talking about the elections in Amethi in UP in 2014, which she now represents, Smriti Irani said, “I do not suffer the arrogance of a fool who thinks that just because people have voted for you they will continue to do so even if nobody is in front of you…. I respect the people’s mandate, I respect the fact that I need to engage with them every single day and be responsible towards them”.
Considered to be one of the bastions of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi held the seat for the longest period, from 2004 to 2019, but lost to Smriti Irani in 2019. The seat has also been held by Rahul Gandhi’s mother, father and uncle.
While Smriti Irani had polled 468,514 that is 49.71 of the votes, Rahul Gandhi could bag only 413,394 votes.
