The State Minority Development Department is considering appointing IPS officer Abdur Rahman, who had resigned to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act, as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Waqf board.
“The board has no full-time chief executive officer since July 2017. It is important to have a dedicated officer on this post to ensure a disciplined dispatch of duties. The board is in possession of properties that need to be protected and used for the benefit of the community. We are shortlisting names for the post, and he is one of the top contenders,” an official from the department said.
Mr. Rahman had announced his resignation in December 2019, when the the Citizenship Amendment Bill was on its way to being approved in Parliament.
He had posted on social media, “This Bill is against the religious pluralism of India. I request all justice loving people to oppose the Bill in a democratic manner. It runs against the very basic feature of the Constitution.”
Resignation not accepted
According to sources in the department, neither Mr. Rahman’s application for the voluntary retirement scheme nor his resignation have been accepted by the government.
Mr. Rahman, an IPS officer of the Inspector General of Police rank, was posted as Special Inspector General (State Human Rights Commission) in Mumbai.
Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik said no decision has yet been taken yet on the Waqf board CEO. “We will take a decision soon. This department was totally sidelined by the previous government, and we have to revamp the whole hierarchy. I am at present reviewing the department’s functioning over the last five years. We will soon make new appointments,” he said.
Mr. Rahman told The Hindu he has not received any communication from the government regarding the Waqk board post.
“I do not know anything about it, and therefore cannot tell you anything,” the IPS officer said.
