Mumbai: Mumbai-based All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, Raza Academy and other Muslim religious organisations have opposed the clearance of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Hazrat Moin Miyan of the AISJU said that he had attended JPC meetings with their advocates and had submitted a detailed memorandum regarding their objections to the bill, but none of them have been taken into account.
Moin Miyan said he had attended the first JPC meeting with their Rizwan Merchant and had submitted the memorandum. While none of the amendments raised by the opposition members in the JPC have been accepted, 14 amendments by the BJP Members of Parliament have been accepted, said Moin Miyan.
This bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024, proposes significant changes to the governance and management of Waqf properties which are religious endowments by Muslims for the benefit of the community. According to AISJU, the bill will undermine the autonomy of the Muslim community over its religious affairs.
Maulana Khalilur Rehman Noori, secretary, of Raza Academy, said that the bill's provisions, such as the transfer of governance from Waqf Boards and Tribunals to state governments, centralising control and addressing administrative issues within the Waqf system, are an infringement on the rights of Muslims to manage their religious properties. This is a direct violation of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which ensures the right to manage religious places and properties, said Noori.
The organisations also opposed the mandatory inclusion of non-Muslims on Waqf boards, which they said was an attempt to interfere with the community's management of its religious properties. This move is perceived as a threat to diversity and a violation of fundamental rights, potentially undermining India's commitment to justice.
The groups said that the bill's passage would lead to increased government control over Waqf properties, which could result in the misuse of these properties for political or personal gain. This would be a clear betrayal of the trust placed in the government to protect and preserve these properties for the benefit of the Muslim community, they said.
The organisations asked the government to reconsider the clearance of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 and engage in consultations with Muslim stakeholders to address any concerns or issues related to the management of Waqf properties.
