Delhi : Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju tabled the Waqf Board Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha today. A debate on it is going on in the Lok Sabha. The opposition party members are making strong arguments that this amendment law is against Muslims.
In 1995, the Waqf Board:
According to the Waqf Board Amendment Act 1995, people belonging to the Islamic faith can donate lands. The revenue generated from those lands is used for mosque use, educational assistance of Muslims etc. The Waqf Board Act of 1995 was created to manage these donated lands.
New Amendment Bill:
The Waqf Board Amendment Act 1995 brought various changes and the Waqf Board Amendment Act 2024 has been tabled in the Lok Sabha today. The main amendments mentioned in it are as follows…
- Across the country, the Waqf Boards have assets of 9.4 lakh acres. Thus the properties belonging to the Waqf Boards should be registered with the District Collector.
- Waqf board organizations have only Muslim men as members. It has been amended to allow Muslim women and non-Muslims to participate in the Waqf Board.
- It has been urged that when those bodies claim the property of the Waqf Board, it should be properly investigated and confirmed.
- The amendment bill mentions that the representation of Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Akhanis and other backward classes in the Islamic community should be ensured in the Waqf Board.
Thus various amendments were mentioned in the Waqf Board Bill. Opposition parties are registering strong objections to this. They demanded that the Waqf Board Amendment Bill be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny.
Regarding this, Minister Kiran Rijiju said that the central government will discuss the bill in a committee comprising members of major parties. After that, a decision will be taken on whether to send the bill to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny or not, he explained.
Opposition to Congress:
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP KC Venugopal said that the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 is a fundamental attack on the Constitution. With this bill, there is a provision that non-Muslims should also be members of the Waqf Governing Body. This is a direct attack on religious freedom. People of India will not accept this kind of divisive politics.
We are Hindus. But at the same time we respect the beliefs of other religions. This bill has been specially prepared for Maharashtra and Haryana elections. Last time the people of India clearly taught you a lesson. Congress MP KC Venugopal strongly protested against the Waqf Bill saying it was an attack on the federal system.
Anti-DMK:
Speaking to DMK MP Kanimozhi, this amendment is a direct violation of Article 30 of the Act regarding the management of their organizations by minorities. This bill targets Muslims. Is it fair to appoint non-Muslims as members? Similarly, will you allow people from other religions in the management of Hindu temples?
This bill is an attempt to create division among the people of the country. This bill has been filed to target specific religions and communities. He registered his objections saying that the bill was completely anti-Muslim and anti-minority.
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