Key points
- Shah Nawaz Malik resigns from JD(U) over lopsided Waqf Bill
- Controversial bill violates constitutional rights of Muslims: AIMPLB
- Govt’s only agenda is to keep Muslims defensive: Rajaram Singh
ISLAMABAD: The Indian Muslim community has strongly criticised the recently passed controversial Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, which aims to give more administrative control to district authorities over Waqf properties.
The bill, an amendment to the Waqf Act of 1995, has been rejected by numerous prominent Muslim organisations, according to media reports.
Jamui Minority Pradesh secretary Shah Nawaz Malik has resigned from Janata Dal United (JDU) over the lopsided Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Indian media cited Shah Nawaz Malik as saying, “It is unfortunate that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has supported the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and I resign from the party because of this. All Muslims accepted him and supported him and he has done good work in Bihar but today, when it is about masjid, and ‘ibadatgaah’, he is supporting BJP…”
Politics of polarisation
In addition to that, on Parliament passing Waqf (Amendment) Bill, CPI(ML) leader Rajaram Singh said, “…their (govt’s) only agenda is to keep the Muslims defensive and corner them, and do politics of polarisation in the country,” according to PTI News.
Mohammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, General Secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), condemned the bill as discriminatory, arguing that it violates the constitutional rights of Muslims and undermines their authority over religious properties.
He further stressed that the controversial bill was driven by communal motives and opposed the concentration of power in the hands of district officials.
Similarly, Yasoob Abbas, the General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB), deemed the bill unacceptable and announced plans to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Endangering Waqf properties
Abbas expressed concerns that the biased bill could endanger Waqf properties by transferring substantial powers to district magistrates and commissioners, potentially leading to mismanagement and encroachment.
Religious scholar Dr Rehan Akhtar, an assistant professor at Aligarh Muslim University, also voiced concerns that the bill could lead to the seizure or manipulation of Waqf properties, which are managed by the Muslim community for religious and charitable purposes. He called for a law to prevent such encroachments.
The controversial bill has also sparked strong opposition from India’s political parties, especially the opposition alliance. Gaurav Gogoi of Congress criticised the government’s move, accusing it of attempting to “disenfranchise” the minority community, while Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party argued that the bill could prove to be a significant political setback for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to Hindustan Times.
Attack on minority
Opposition members in Parliament have also raised concerns over a clause in the bill that restricts the establishment of Waqf properties to individuals who have been practicing Muslims for five years, a provision that has stirred additional controversy.
The Hindu nationalist government claims that the bill will improve accountability, while the opposition has called it an “attack” on a minority.
Marginalising Muslims
However, opposition parties accuse the government of pursuing “polarising politics” at the expense of India’s Muslim minority of 200 million, according to BBC.
“The Waqf Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and undermining their personal laws and property rights,” said Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi referred to it as an “attack” by Hindu nationalists, which he argued was “aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.”
