New Delhi, Aug 5: Any proposal to amend the Wakf Act should be discussed in a “dispassionate atmosphere” to reach the right conclusions, the Vishva Hindu Parishad said on Monday and pitched for a “secular law” for governing all religious properties, including that of Muslims.
The government is all set to bring a bill in Parliament to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf boards to ensure more accountability and transparency in their functioning and mandatory inclusion of women in these bodies, according to sources.
“The Government of India proposes to move a bill for amendment to the Waqf Act. I believe that the proposed amendments should be debated in a dispassionate atmosphere for reaching the right conclusions,” Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) national president Alok Kumar said.
“I believe that the religious charities of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and others are as important and as sacred as the Waqf properties. Why have an exclusive separate discriminatory law for the Muslim community?
“Probably, the time is right to consider whether we should have a secular law governing all religious properties in the country including that of Muslims,” he said
Kumar said some of the proposed amendments, such as the proposal for “inclusion of two women in the Waqf Board and in the Waqf Council” are “universally” not objectionable.
“Women should have the right to be consulted, to participate in the discussions and be a part of the decision-making process,” he added.
The VHP leader said Waqf properties are the properties dedicated to Allah and a Waqif is the trustee.
“It's a matter of common knowledge that most of the Waqf properties are being misused for commercial and residential purposes by unscrupulous persons,” he said.
“So, it is in the interest of the community that all the income and expenses of the Waqf are meticulously recorded in a transparent way and audited,” Kumar added.
