High Court Issues Notice On PIL Against Delhi Govt's Policy To Utilize Consolidated Fund For Releasing Salaries To Imams Of Delhi Waqf Board

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a PIL challenging the Delhi Government's policy to utilize the consolidated fund of the State to release the salaries and honorarium to Imams and Muezzins of Delhi Wakf Board and Non Wakf Board.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora sought response of the Delhi Government, its Finance and Planning departments and the Delhi Waqf Board.

The plea has been moved by Rukmani Singh, a lawyer and social activist by profession, seeking to restrain the Delhi Government and Waqf Board from providing salaries or remuneration to the Imams and Muezzins of the Board and Non Wakf Boards out of the consolidated fund of the State.

The court observed that the issue requires consideration and issued notice in the matter. The case is now listed for hearing in July.

The bench also impleaded Delhi Government's Revenue department as a party respondent in the PIL after an oral request was made by Delhi Government's standing counsel, Santosh Kumar Tripathi.

Singh's plea contends that the practice adopted by the Delhi Government to pay honorarium to few individuals of a particular religious community without considering the financial condition of the similar category of individuals in the other religious community directly contravenes the secular nature of the State and violates Articles 14, 15(1) and 27, 266 and 282 of the Constitution of India.

The PIL places reliance on a Supreme Court ruling in All India Imam Organisation v. Union of India wherein it was held that it is the duty of the Wakf Board to harness resources to pay the Imams who perform the most important duty, namely of leading community prayer in a mosque.

“In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that the act of the Respondent No.1 state is very well against the Constitutional canons as well as the judgment passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. It is submitted that payment cannot be made to one particular sect of the religion from the consolidated fund of the State,” the plea states.

Title: RUKMANI SINGH v. GOVERNMENT OF N.C.T. DELHI & ORS.