Delhi WAQF Imams allege non-payment of salary amid Govt allocating grants, demand probe

New Delhi [India], August 15 (ANI): Several Imams of Delhi Waqf alleged non-payment of salary even after the central government allocated grants in this regard and demanded an investigation pointing out discrepancies.

Qari Gyasur Hassan, a WAQF Imam in Delhi, voiced his frustration, saying, “We have been troubled about our salaries for nearly eight years. Since the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power, and Amanatullah Khan became the Chairman, we have faced repeated delays.”

He alleged that their salaries have been delayed for up to 25 months and said that their efforts to meet the Chief Minister and other officials failed. “There are around 185 Imams in Delhi whose salaries have been stopped. I have also met the CO, I also went to Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, but we couldn’t meet Arvind Kejriwal. I also went to meet Atishi, but nothing was happening. The way our salary of 20-25 months is stopped, this never happened before,” Qari Gyasur Hassan said while speaking to ANI.

Mufti Mohammed Qasim of the Anglo Arabic School alleged that the Masjid section of the WAQF board misled higher officials by providing incorrect reports, leading to the erroneous classification of Imams as illegal. “This matter has been ongoing for a long time. Some Imams have not been paid for almost 30 months, and some for 15-16 months,” he said.

He added that the government’s substantial grant to the WAQF board has not helped in timely payments for the Imams. “This situation warrants a thorough investigation,” the Imam said.

Maulana Sajid Rashidi acknowledged the increase in salary from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 under the current government but criticized the overall efficacy of these increases.

“While the government has raised our salaries, the fact remains that around 185 Imams have not been paid for 18-22 months. The increase in salaries seems meaningless when basic payments are not made. Additionally, the board’s recent legal manoeuvres, arguing that funds for Imams should be equitably distributed among other religious groups, have complicated matters further,” Maulana Sajid Rashidi said.

“We believe that our funding should come from WAQF revenue, not government grants. We urge the government to address these payment delays and to ensure that the Governor’s office is not held responsible for bureaucratic hold-ups,” he said.