‘Assault on civil rights’: Muslim bodies in Ludhiana protest Waqf Act tweaks

The protest led by Intezamiya Committee Muslim Qabristan, Baddowal, saw over 300 people partake in the demonstration; they submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner of Ludhiana, Himanshu Jain

Agitated at the recent Waqf Amendment Bill passed by the Parliament, the president of Idara-e-Shariah Punjab, Maulana Farooq Razvi, said that Waqf properties are part of the Indian heritage and any government interference is a blatant violation of Article 26 of the constitution. Razvi was at the protest demonstration at Bharat Nagar chowk on Wednesday demanding a roll back of the law.

Members of Muslim organisations during a protest against Waqf Amendment Bill in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

The protest led by Intezamiya Committee Muslim Qabristan, Baddowal, saw over 300 people partake in the demonstration. They submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner of Ludhiana, Himanshu Jain. Leading the protest, Khamid Ali of the committee demanded a complete withdrawal of the new laws. “We aren’t asking for the new laws to just be tweaked a little, but a complete roll back,” he said.

The organisation claimed that the laws violate the fundamental rights and civil liberties of the Muslim community and that provisions such as inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board, re-survey of properties, and limiting the powers of the Trust are undermining the legal institutional autonomy of Muslims.

President of the committee Imran Khan strongly condemned the bill and said, this act is an attempt to impose government control on the legal and social heritage of the Muslim community. “The provisions included in it are a blow to legal freedom, but there seems to be a conspiracy to hand over the properties to the mafia,” he added.

The legal advisor of the organisation, advocate Mohar Ali, requested the Supreme Court to put a stay on this law until its constitutional review is completed. Haji Abdul Sattar Naqshbandi, president, Sunni Noori Jama Masjid, Shivpuri, said that he is ready to fight every possible legal battle to protect the legal rights of Muslims across the country.