AIMPLB Condemns Waqf Bill as Assault on Muslim Rights; Protests Planned for March 17 at Jantar Mantar

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has declared plans for a demonstration against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on March 17 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. This protest is intended to appeal to the “secular” political parties, including those within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the center, as stated by the board, which represents the highest authority of Muslim clerics.

The protest was initially scheduled for March 13 but has been postponed due to the Holi festivities, and it may not take place on that date, according to the board’s spokesperson, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.

Ilyas also mentioned that numerous Members of Parliament have been invited to partake in the protest. The Board believes that the current proposed legislation will facilitate the “usurping” of Waqf properties, representing a “direct attack” on the Muslim community.

“We anticipated that our feedback would be taken seriously by the parliamentary joint committee. However, neither our views were acknowledged, nor were the amendments suggested by opposition parties included,” Ilyas stated during the press conference.

The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, has endorsed the proposed amendments after integrating recommendations made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). This approval allows the bill to be presented in Parliament during the latter part of the budget session that commenced on March 10.

Ilyas indicated that the AIMPLB had generated over 36 million responses through emails concerning suggestions sought by the parliamentary committee.

The bill is deemed “discriminatory” as it proposes the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf boards and councils, a provision not applicable in the governance of endowments for Hindus and Sikhs, he asserted.

Sources reveal that the Union Cabinet has incorporated most changes recommended by the JPC led by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal. The panel approved the bill on January 27, adopting all 14 modifications suggested by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in the NDA.

In a statement, AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Fazlur Raheem Mujaddidi and Ilyas emphasized that despite five crore Muslims sending emails to the joint committee opposing the bill and extensive representations by the Muslim Personal Law Board, major national and regional Muslim organizations, as well as prominent individuals, the government has not only declined to reconsider its position but has also made the bill even “more stringent and controversial.”

In democratic systems, legislation is generally discussed with key stakeholders prior to being introduced in the legislature. Nevertheless, this government has adopted an “authoritarian approach” from the outset, they stated.

The statement pointed out that similar to how the three farm laws were passed without farmer consultation, it required extensive protests from farmers for the government to retract them.

When the bill attracted substantial criticism from opposition parties, a 31-member joint committee was formed; however, it was largely dominated by ruling party members, resulting in superficial alterations that further tightened the bill, they contended.

The committee outrightly dismissed well-founded objections and valid suggestions from the Muslim community, along with 44 amendments proposed by opposition members involved in the committee, the statement added.

The spokesperson also mentioned that an AIMPLB delegation had met JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, seeking his support, to which he provided a response similar to that of Naidu.

The AIMPLB urged parties such as TDP, JD(U), RLD, and LJP (Ram Vilas) to refrain from backing the bill as they are expected to advocate for the welfare of minorities. “If they do not do so, we will have to contemplate our future course of action with respect to these parties,” Mujaddidi cautioned.

Despite all endeavors, the genuine concerns of the Muslim community have been overlooked, and the NDA government remains focused on its agenda of “seizing and destroying” Waqf properties, Mujaddidi and Ilyas remarked.

“It is lamentable that even allied parties of the NDA, which profess to be secular and just, are endorsing the BJP’s communal agenda, despite receiving significant Muslim electoral support. The Muslim community perceives this Waqf Amendment Bill as a direct affront,” the statement asserted.

The AIMPLB, together with various religious and community-based organizations and justice-oriented citizens across the nation, will exercise their democratic and constitutional rights by staging a protest at Jantar Mantar on March 17, as stated.

“This demonstration seeks to invoke the conscience of secular political entities,” they added in their statement.

Waqf Amendment Bill 2024

The proposed legislation aims to repeal several provisions in the current Waqf Act that governs Waqf boards. It also proposes significant changes to the existing Act, such as ensuring the representation of non-Muslims in central and state Waqf bodies.

The bill grants district collectors the authority to adjudicate disputes over whether a property is Waqf or government-owned. This amendment seeks to revise the Waqf Act of 1995 and suggests the introduction of a non-Muslim Chief Executive Officer.

Critics argue that these amendments aim to reduce the ‘arbitrary’ authority of Waqf boards. The existing Waqf Act allows these boards to claim any property as Waqf without necessary verification.