By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
It may sound strange to a lot of people, but Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board has written to Prime Minister of India asking him to demolish the Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi and turn it into a graveyard.
Rizvi’s suggestion apparently came after Syed Ahmad Ali, the coordinator at All India Raabta-e-Masajid wa Madaris-e-Islamia, wrote him a letter on October 15, asking him to provide land for the burial of Muslims in NCR region as it was not possible in Delhi anymore because of a shortage of land, the letter claimed.
The demand made Rizvi raise the question on the importance of Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi. In the letter written to PM Narendra Modi, Rizvi said, “The board demands that the Humayun’s tomb, which is situated at Mathura Road, New Delhi, should be removed from the list of National Monuments, and it should be declared a burial ground for Muslims of entire Delhi after demolishing the building over the tomb of Humayun.”
In his letter to Modi, Waseem Rizvi explained the ‘rationale’ behind his request: “There is no such Islamic barrier in demolishing Humayun’s tomb, as the sect which Humayun belonged, does not permit the construction of tomb.”
He referred to the demolition of Jannat al-Baqi of Medina by the loyal forces of Wahhabi-Saudi alliance in 1925, and said, “Those who belong to the same sect as Humayun’s should have no objection if one decides to demolish his tomb by taking lessons from Saudi Arabia.”
He claimed that government does not get any revenue from Humayun’s tomb, and it spends a lot of money for its management instead. “It is the public money, which should only be used in the development of India, not for the tomb of some oppressor or Lootera.”
According to Rizvi’s claim, Delhi Muslims won’t have to search for places “for the next hundred years”.
When we cross-checked with the body who asked Rizvi for land for burial, we found that no official reply was given to them. Syed Ahmad Ali told us, “Rizvi saheb called me on phone and told me that he will ask Prime Minister’s office and other related bodies for the management of land for burial. However, he did not give hint that he would raise such a demand.”
For what it seems that without helping (or not), Rizvi used the opportunity to shine his own agenda. Ali termed Rizvi’s demolition remark as his “persona”, but also said, “I condemn any such demand or action against any establishment on any such grave.”
However, Rizvi – often considered close to the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh – is well known his rather controversial actions. He recently rose to fame after stepping into Babri mosque-Ram Janmabhoomi case by asking Supreme Court of India to make Shia Waqf Board as one of the parties to the case.
While commenting on his strange “suggestion”, Rizvi denied that it was any hardcore demand and said, “It is just a demand, the government may choose to accept or deny it.” However, he was reluctant to answer why he took a matter pertaining to Uttar Pradesh’s body to New Delhi and the Prime Minister.