Murshidabad violence: Jamiat chief says Waqf law helps 'land occupiers’, calls for peaceful agitation
Mahmood Madani said the amendment was brought not to improve the functioning of the Waqf Boards but to serve vested interests.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Mahmood Madani on Sunday strongly criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Act, calling the law a politically motivated move aimed at facilitating land occupation under the guise of reform. He also called for ‘nonviolent protests against the law’ and added that violence would only undermine the movement.
"We have appealed to the people to protest peacefully, to protest everywhere. And we condemn any violence- it will only weaken our movement," ANI quoted Madani as saying.
The remarks come as West Bengal’s Murshidabad saw violent protests against the new Waqf law. At least 3 people were killed and over 150 were arrested by the police in connection with the violence.
Madani said the amendment was brought not to improve the functioning of the Waqf Boards but to serve vested interests.
"This is not an issue of Waqf but politics. In the name of Muslims, sometimes by abusing Muslims or by being the sympathisers of Muslims, this act was implemented with malicious intent," Madni added.
He claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used a narrative to justify the amendment that falsely portrayed the previous Waqf Board as having unchecked powers and no government oversight. He also alleged that the new act is designed to aid real estate developers and land grabbers in acquiring prime Waqf properties.
"You are trying to help the builders and land occupiers so that they get the lands in prime locations. They used to say that it was oppression. This act or amendment is not right for the country, society, or Muslims. You are benefiting the occupiers," he further said.
He added that the ancestors of the Indian Muslims decided to stay in the country, and the law undermines the trust and promises made to them by the country's founding leaders.
The Murshidabad violence
Violent protests erupted in Murshidabad and other areas of West Bengal, like Jangipur, Amtala, Suti, Dhuliyan, and North 24 Parganas, against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
A Muslim organization in Siliguri and students from Aliah University in Kolkata also protested, urging the central government to repeal the act.
The West Bengal Police have arrested a total of 150 individuals in connection with the recent violence. Adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas to maintain order, according to a statement by the police.
On Saturday, a special bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces "immediately" in Murshidabad in the wake of widespread violence.
According to a PTI report, hundreds of people have fled the violence-hit areas and taken shelter in Malda.
