
Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS) The Mumbai unit of the Congress Tuesday demanded setting up of a research centre and library dedicated to freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at the historic Jinnah House, the residence of Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah before he left India after partition.
Nizamuddin Rayeen, chief of the Mumbai Congress minority cell, said the Jinnah House would be a befitting memorial to the memory and ideals of independent India's first education minister Maulana Azad, and everybody should come forward to support it.
"Such a memorial would enable the nation, especially the present generation, to know about Azad's immense contribution in the field of education," Rayeen told the media.
He reiterated an old demand to set up a permanent chair in the University of Mumbai for research and study on Azad and said the community has even expressed willingness to collect funds for it.
Referring to a controversy over the Ismail Yusuf College in Jogeshwari, Rayeen said the party would oppose any move by the Maharashtra government to hand over its 54 acres land to the Wakf Board.
"The BJP-Shiv Sena government is not interested in setting up an educational hub in the college premises as claimed. We demanded that the property should be handed over to Muslim trust or organisation working for the community's welfare," Rayeen said.
He expressed opposition to a suggestion by some BJP leaders that the Wakf Board should take over the college property and reserve 20 percent for the Muslim community, when the entire premises belongs to the community.
"The intentions of the present government came out in the open after they opposed the educational quota for the Muslim community. The total ownership and functioning of the college must be handed over to a community trust working in the field of education," Rayeen urged.
He also alleged that the Wakf Board cannot be relied upon as it could misuse the property, which was donated by a philanthropist, Sir Mohammed Ismail Yusuf, in 1930 to the then British government specifically for Muslim education.
Originally it was around 120 acres, but due to encroachment and other problems, only 54 acres is now available for the college, and the state government is toying with the idea of setting up the proposed law university on this campus, Rayeen said.
7-day lockdown in Bangladesh amid growing Corona cases, everything from court to office closed
Dhaka The Bangladesh government has ordered a nationwide lockdown from Monday to a week because o
IND vs WI Playing 11, 1st T20: After Tests and ODIs, now it is time for the thrill of quick crick
This time there are many challenges for the Congress, which was number one in the&
Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot angry again, but when BJP surrounded Congress, it taught a lesson
There has been a flurry of rebellion in the politics of Rajasthan for a long time. Meanwhile, Sac
India beat Ireland, Secure top group spot
Hamilton, March 10 (IANS) Guided by Shikhar Dhawan's dominating century, India's smooth eight-w
Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time in a ceremony held at Ra
Maharashtra Board: Class 10 annual board exam canceled, the result will come by end of June
The Maharashtra government has canceled the annual Class 10 board exams for the year 2021 on Frid
Recently, a bishop from Kerala had commented on love jihad and narcotics jihad. Since then, there
Subsidies aren't best weapon to tackle poverty: Economic Survey
New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Price subsidies did not have a transformative effect on the living sta
SRH vs MI Dream 11: Batsmen will roar a lot in Hyderabad, playing 11 of both teams will be like this
The 25th match of IPL 2023 will be played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians. The mat