E-Paper
Sufi body backs Centre's Waqf Board plan after meeting NSA Doval, Kiren Rijiju
Syed Naseruddin Chishty, chief of Islamic body AISSC, supported the need for a bill to curb the power of the Waqf Board when it comes to assets.
The All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council on Tuesday supported the Centre's purported move to curb the powers of Waqf boards.
In a statement, AISSC chairman Syed Naseruddin Chishty said that the bill was long overdue, and that dargahs across the country are supporting this move.
“All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council strongly supports the amendment that are being proposed by this Government. There is a desperate need for the amendments,” Chishty said. He also said that the council has been demanding this for a ling time.
The AISSC chairman further demanded a separate Dargah Board under the amendments. “Dargahs are supporting this decision. An amendment is needed because Dargahs are the biggest victims,” he said.
"In the present Waqf Act, there is no mention of dargahs at all. The Waqf Boards do not recognise the traditions of the dargah as many of our traditions are not there in sharia, so we demand a separate Dargah Board," he said at a press conference.
Chishty's statement comes just as there is buzz around Centre planning to bring a bill in Parliament to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf boards. This bill will ensure more accountability and transparency in their functioning and mandatory inclusion of women in these bodies, reported PTI citing sources.
Alleging that the Waqf board operates in a dictatorial form, Chishty said, “We are hopeful that the draft Waqf Amendment Bill will be comprehensive and serve the interests of all stakeholders. Following a thorough examination of the draft, we intend to submit our recommendations and proposal.”
AISSC meets NSA Ajit Doval, Kiren Rijiju
The AISSC chairman, along with the council representatives, met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday to express their concerns regarding the bill.
"We were given assurance by the NSA and the Minority Affairs Minister that all the stakeholders will be consulted and the amendments will be in the interest of the Muslims," Chishty said.
“The bill will bring transparency because there is a lot of corruption spread and this needs a solution. Some provisions are clashing with each other, they need to be sorted out... We want that the position of Dargahs to be defined in the Waqf Act,” the Islamic body chief said in his statement.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
