Muslim body opposes appointment of non-Muslims on Waqf boards
This story was originally published at 06:00 IST on 31 August 2024
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NEW DELHI – All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, one of the Muslim bodies that took part in Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on Waqf Amendment Bill, today opposed the appointment of non-Muslim members on the Waqf boards. It said that appointment of non-Muslim members could be seen as an "interference in the religious affairs of the Muslim community".
The Muslim association also objected to the powers given to the district collector to decide on Waqf properties in case of disputes. It said that the provision may allow the collector to alter the nature of Waqf properties or declare them government properties.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee under the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jagdambika Pal held its second meeting today. The committee heard views of New Delhi-based Indian Muslims for Civil Rights, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, and the Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqf.
The committee sought opinions from public, non-government organisations, experts, stakeholders, and institutions on the legislation.
The next meetings will be held during Sep 5-6. The committee will hear Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Culture during the next meetings.
On Aug 8, the Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The Bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995 for effective management of assets and administration of Waqf. The Bill also makes provisions for inclusion of non-Muslims in the waqf boards.
The Bill seeks to omit Section 40 of the Waqf Act, which empowered the board to decide if a property is a waqf property.
It seeks to streamline the registration of Waqfs through a central portal and database. It also makes it mandatory for all waqf properties to submit their details on the portal and database, within six months.
The opposition parties had opposed the Bill and alleged that it was brought without consultation with stakeholders. They called it anti-Muslim, against cooperative federalism and politically motivated. The Opposition also alleged that the Bill violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion. End
Reported by Kuldeep Singh
Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj
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