New Delhi, Aug 8: Prominent Muslim bodies on Thursday hit out at the The Waqf (Amendment) Bill that was introduced in Lok Sabha and urged the government to withdraw the proposed amendments and engage in a detailed consultation with all stakeholders, including religious leaders.
Both factions of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (Arshad Madani and Mahmood Madani) slammed the Bill and expressed grave concerns over the proposed legislation.
Maulana Arshad Madani, who heads one Jamiat faction, claimed that the government wants to change the status and nature of waqf properties so that it becomes easier to take their possession. “Once the new amendment is passed, a collector raj will come into existence and the decision of the Waqf Tribunal will not be final to decide which property is waqf and which is not. The decision of the collector will be final in relation to ownership,” Madani said.
“Earlier this right was with the Waqf Tribunal. The proposed amendment to the Waqf Act is also against the religious freedom granted by the Constitution and is in violation of Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution,” he said.
He alleged that ever since this government has come, it has been bringing such new laws to keep Muslims in “fear”. The proposed legislation is an open interference in the religious matters of Muslims, he said. “The Jamiat wants to make it clear that we will never accept any such change in the Waqf Act, 2013 that changes or weakens the status or nature of Waqf properties. Jamiat Ulame-e-Hind has always taken effective steps to ensure the safety of waqf properties and even today we are moving ahead with the resolution that the Muslims of India will be against every plan of the government that does not guarantee the safety of waqf properties,” he said in a statement.
