E-Paper
Govt will protect Waqf properties, says JPC chief
BJP's Jagdambika Pal reassured AIMPLB that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to protect orphans, widows, and the unemployed of the Muslim community.
Days after All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called for the immediate withdrawal of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said the government was committed to safeguarding Waqf properties, and emphasised that the Bill “aims to protect orphans, widows and the unemployed”.
Also Read | Number Theory: The landscape of 866,000 Waqf properties
Pal, the chairperson of a joint-parliamentary committee (JPC) formed to examine the Bill, met prominent Muslim scholars and intellectuals at Islamic Centre of India, Aishbagh Eidgah here on Monday evening.
During the meeting, a 20-point memorandum was presented to Pal, outlining the objections and concerns of the Muslim community. Pal said, “The government is committed to safeguarding Waqf properties. The Bill aims to protect and benefit orphans, widows, and the unemployed.” He highlighted the importance of ongoing consultations with major Muslim organisations, including AIMPLB, to ensure that the amendments were fair and just.
Meanwhile, the Muslim scholars at the meeting expressed strong concerns regarding certain provisions in the proposed amendments. They particularly objected to the increased powers granted to district collectors, the inclusion of non-Muslim zones in Waqf Boards, and the shift from elections to nominations for board members. The scholars argued that these changes were a violation of constitutional rights, particularly those that guarantee religious freedom and protection of minority rights.
Also Read | Purpose of Waqf bill is to dispossess Muslims of ancestral inheritance: JUH president
The meeting was attended by Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali (chairman of the Islamic Center of India), Maulana Jafar Masood Nadvi, Maulana Atique Ahmed Bastavi, Sheikh Saud Rashid Advocate, Amik Jamai, and Naimur Rehman Siddiqui.
Also, Pal separately met Maulana Saif Abbas Naqvi, a prominent Shia Muslim cleric, to discuss the proposed amendments. During this discussion, Pal informed Naqvi that a major consultation with various stakeholders would be organized in September to gather diverse viewpoints on the amendments.
Naqvi suggested that the government establish an email ID or online portal to facilitate the submission of views from Muslims across the country, and presented a three-page memorandum to Pal, outlining both objections and recommendations regarding the Waqf Bill.
Also Read | Waqf JPC meeting: Opposition, BJP lock horns over bill’s intention
One of the key proposals put forward by Maulana Naqvi was the strengthening of the Waqf Tribunal to better protect Waqf properties. He also criticized the proposal to create separate Waqf Boards for the Bohra and Aga Khani communities, calling it an arbitrary decision aimed at dividing the Muslim community. Maulana Naqvi asserted that the existing Waqf Act was sufficient for all Muslim sub-communities and that no legal justification existed for such segregation.
In response, Pal assured Naqvi that all proposals and objections would be carefully studied and considered in the legislative process, reflecting the government’s intent to ensure that the final amendments are equitable and protective of Waqf interests.
Meanwhile, another JPC member, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, met Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali on Tuesday.
