Waqf Amendments Bill To Be Tabled Today
The controversial Waqf amendments bill, which cuts powers and seeks drastic changes in the functions of the state Waqf Boards, will be tabled today in Lok Sabha amid protests from Muslim organisations and political parties.
Under the new act, the draft of which was circulated among parliament members recently, the properties held by the Waqf board will undergo mandatory verification. The new act seeks to strip significant powers the board held, including the omission of Section 40, by assigning collectors instead of the board to determine if a property is Waqf.
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As per the amendments, waqf would be defined as property donated by any person having ownership of such property who has been a practicing Muslim for at least 5 years. The bill thus specifies that the property donated by non-Muslims for mosques or graveyards is no longer considered waqf. It also mentions that government property identified as waqf property is not deemed waqf under the new Act.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will table the Waqf Amendment Bill in 2024. Several Muslim organizations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, slammed the amendments, calling them an effort to snatch the rights of Muslims. The board also urged the NDA allies and the India bloc to oppose the bill in the House and ensure it was not passed. Political parties including the Indian Union Muslim League, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, and the Samajwadi Party have flagged the Muslim minorities’ concerns, vowing that they will oppose the bill.
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By diminishing the board’s power and providing it to the district collector, the amendments have met with strong opposition among Muslims, who see it as yet another measure by the BJP government to imperil their existence and snatch away their rights, like the recent closure of Maulaza Azad scholarships, among others.
Many misleading claims made by right-wing groups through the media paved the way for the proposed bill to be introduced by the Centre. The claims included that the Waqf board grabbed the properties of Hindus as Waqf, highlighting the large acres of land the board owns in the country.
