Waqf Board dissolved because of fight against corruption: Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal also added that the Waqf Board had turned a new page under the leadership of Amanatullah Khan

A day after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung dissolved the Delhi Waqf Board, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that the move came because its chairman Amanatullah Khan was targeting "big vested interests" responsible for corruption in the religious endowments body.

"Everyone knows that the Waqf Board had become the centre of corruption. But after taking over as the chairman of the board, Amanatullah Khan increased its income from Rs 26 lakh to Rs 1 crore by taking several measures," Kejriwal said at a press conference in New Delhi.

"He was targeting big vested interests and that is why he was removed and the board dissolved," he said.

On Friday, Jung had also declared Mehboob Alam's appointment as the Waqf Board chief executive officer (CEO) as illegal and referred all matters involving alleged rule violations and corruption to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe.

Kejriwal added that from being a centre of corruption, the Waqf Board had turned a new page under the leadership of Amanatullah Khan, who is also an Aam Aadmi Party legislator.

"As many as 1,200 widows were given pension, 100 children were given scholarship. Construction of five schools had started," he said.

"But yesterday (Friday), Waqf Board office was sealed, and we don't know why it was done. We came to know from the Divisional Commissioner that there were no such orders to seal the office," Kejriwal added.

Earlier in the day, Amanatullah Khan also said that he is being targeted because he waged a war against corruption in the Waqf Board after taking charge in March.

"After becoming the chairman of Waqf Board, I was sent to jail twice. Anti-Corruption Branch is sent after me. This is the first time in history that office of the Waqf Board is sealed," Khan said.

On Friday, Jung said that Alam's appointment as CEO of Waqf Board was "illegal and void ab initio" in the absence of necessary approval from the competent authority. He dissolved the board, the term of which was to expire in December 2016.