Rohit Mishra from Navbharat Times talked to Wasim Rizvi, president of the Shia Waqf Board, about his inclination towards BJP and his relationship with the clerics.

Your viewpoint has changed considerably since the BJP came to power. Why have you gone against madrasas, clerics and mosques?

I raised two issues- Ram Mandir and madrasas. I tried to intervene in the Ram mandir-Babri Masjid dispute after the Supreme Court ordered about an out-of-court settlement. The issue of madrasas came to me when I went to madrasas of Shahjahanpur (UP) and found that only divine education were given to the students. Hindus were termed as Kafirs by the madrasas moulanas.

Many clerics including Kalbe Jawad seem unhappy with your views

They are angry with me since I created hurdles for them in selling of graves during previous government. They are selling graves for many years. It came to me during Akhilesh government when one of my relatives died and his wife had to sell her jewellery in order to purchase a grave for her husband.

Kalbe Jawad is very powerful and had connections in the Samajwadi Party . Cases were filed against me. I fought and even after the investigations, nothing came against me. Now, three cases has been filed against me in present government also.

Clerics are pressing for your arrests and have threatened to launch protests

Clerics, they oppose everyone and it is their right. For the appeasement of clerics I can't play with the future of Muslim children.

So will your movement continue?

Absolutely, I will wait first, then file SLP in the Supreme Court. I am destroying their earning but they are very powerful and my life is in danger. But I will not stop this movement. I have prepared my grave and also made a tomb stone.

Have you sought security from the government?

I wrote letters to the government but my pleas fell on deaf ears. They provided me a gunner which is not sufficient.

The people are accusing you of following the BJP line to save yourself?

Why would I save myself and from whom? Not a single allegation was proved against me. Till 2020 I am an elected president. No one can remove me. Also, three cases against me have been filed during the current regime so there is no question to favour them.

Your relation with Kalbe Jawad is not good. What about Azam Khan?

He was my minister and he dissolved the board during his tenure. I went to court against him. Azam is unhappy with me over Ram Mandir.

Read the full interview in Hindi

