Centre set to overhaul Waqf Act, Muslim leaders react

Centre set to overhaul Waqf Act, Muslim leaders react

durgesh dubey
04 Aug, 2024

Waqf Act

Amid reports that central government is likely to bring a bill to Parliament to curb the powers of the Waqf Board over assets, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has reacted.

He said, "Firstly, when Parliament is in session, the central government is acting against parliamentary supremacy and privileges and informing the media and not informing Parliament. I can say that whatever has been written in the media about this proposed amendment shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and it wants to interfere... This itself is against the freedom of religion. The second thing is that the BJP has been against these boards and Waqf properties from the very beginning and they have a Hindutva agenda...Now if you make amendments to the establishment and composition of the Waqf board, then there will be an administrative chaos, loss of autonomy of the Waqf board and if the control of the government increases over the Waqf Board, then the independence of Waqf will be affected. In the media report it is written that if there is any disputed property, then these people will say that the property is disputed, we will get it surveyed. The survey will be conducted by the BJP, CMs and you know what will be its result. There are many such dargahs in our India where BJP-RSS claims that they are not dargahs and mosques, so the executive is trying to snatch the power of the judiciary...".

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali speaks on media reports that the central government is likely to bring a bill to curb the powers of the Waqf Board over assets. He says, "Our ancestors have donated a large part of their property and they have made it a Waqf under Islamic law. So as far as the Waqf law is concerned, it is important that the property should be used only for charitable purposes for which the Waqf has been done. And it is a law that once a property is made a Waqf it cannot be sold or transferred. As far as the management of properties is concerned, we already have the Waqf Act 1995 and then some amendments were made in 2013 and currently, we do not feel that there is any need to make any kind of amendment to this Waqf Act and if the government feels that there is any need, then the government should consult and take the opinion of the stakeholders before making any amendment. Everyone should keep in mind that about 60% to 70% of the waqf properties are in the form of mosques, dargahs and graveyards...".

BJP leader Mohsin Raza says, "If this bill is brought, we will welcome it. There are lakhs of Waqf properties across the country and people are not getting justice. They (Waqf Board) go beyond their powers and harass people. There are many such properties, many such issues which should come directly to the government...Waqf was created for the upliftment of backward Muslims and it has not been used properly, it has just been misused...so it is obvious that there is a need to take out the Waqf properties which have come under the control of a few people and the properties which have been registered in the boards illegally should also be taken out...This is a matter of public interest and it should be brought."