The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday expressed strong opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, stating that it would be detrimental rather than beneficial for Muslims. And AIMPLB spokesperson Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas said if this bill is passed in the Parliament, then the AIMPLB will start a nationwide movement against it.
“We won’t sit quietly. We will make use of all legal and constitutional provisions available to us. We will run a peaceful agitation until the proposed amendments are taken back,” he said.
Senior executive member AIMPLB Maulana Khalid Rashi Farangi Mahali told PTI that the AIMPLB and other Muslim organisations have conveyed their concerns over the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), but they were not considered. “Following this, protests were held in cities, including Delhi and Patna, where demonstrators symbolically wore black bands to emphasise their dissent,"
Muslim leaders have asserted that Waqf properties hold religious significance comparable to fundamental Islamic practices such as prayer, fasting and pilgrimage, he said.
"We have urged all Members of Parliament to consider the sentiments of the Muslim community and reject the proposed amendments," he said.
However, some legal experts have welcomed the provisions in the Bill.
In Varanasi, lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain said the Bill has curtailed several "unchecked" powers previously held by Waqf boards, which is a positive step.
He pointed out that certain aspects of the Bill still needed debate, though.
"There is no provision to take back the property of any other religion or trust which is not government property but has been declared as Waqf property.
We have registered our protest against this," he said.
These statements come as the Bill is set to be tabled in the Parliament on Wednesday.
Despite setting up a JPC in the matter, no bipartisan consensus has emerged between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and opposition parties, which have dubbed it as "unconstitutional" and against the interest of the Muslim community.
(With inputs from agencies)