RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Waqf Board has issued a circular to the Mutawallis (caretakers) of all the mosques of the state, directing them to get their weekly speeches vetted in advance before delivering them at mosques.
In the circular issued by the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman, Salim Raj, directions have been passed to the Mutawallis to stick to the Islamic teachings during their speeches at the mosques. There should be no political speeches at mosques and all speeches should stick to religious preaching, it reads.
According to the reports, a WhatsApp group for sharing the subject and contents of the speeches before delivering at the mosques on every Friday has already been created by the Waqf Board and all the Mutawallis of the state have been added to it. The content of the speeches shared by the Mutawallis will be vetted by the officials of the Board.
The Board’s directives will come into effect from the upcoming Friday, November 22 and a letter containing the instructions will be sent to around 3800 mosques across the state. The Board has further urged the Imams to educate the people about the minority-centric welfare schemes being run by the government.
Interacting with a prominent local daily over the new set of directives issued, Board’s Chairman Salim Raj said that mosques should not become a political nest and it should confine themselves to religious preaching and practices only.
At times Fatwas are issued from mosques or support is extended to some political parties, so we have instructed all the Mutawallis to take our consent on the content of the speech before delivering it, he added.
The Board’s move however has received critical reactions from parties like All-India-Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Musalmeen (AIMIM) and Indian National Congress (INC) who have termed the directives as unconstitutional.
“The Waqf Board has the authority to assess its properties but it does not have the power to pass instruction on what a Maulana or Mutawalli will deliver during their speeches inside mosques, said a senior Congress leader of Chhattisgarh while terming the directives unconstitutional.
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