After Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju introduced a bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards on Thursday, the Opposition called the move “draconian and a fundamental attack on the Constitution.”
Congress leader KC Venugopal while speaking in the Parliament alleged that the bill would create religious division between communities. "This bill is a fundamental attack on the Constitution. Through this bill, the government is trying to put in a provision that non-Muslims will also be members of the Waqf governing council.”
Venugopal further slammed the Centre calling the bill a “direct attack on freedom of religion.” He said, “Now next will be Christians and Jains…Indians will not buy this kind of divisive politics now."
He alleged that the bill has been introduced in the house in the wake of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. "We are Hindus, but, we respect every religion. This bill, which has been introduced today, is specialised for the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections…this is an attack on the federal system,"
However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the central government is not targeting anyone by bringing amendments to the Waqf Board Act and added that the opposition parties want to "only create an atmosphere."
"We are not targeting anyone. They (Opposition) want to only create an atmosphere. Our minister will explain in detail when he introduces the bill. They want to misguide some people in the community. They are trying to tarnish the image of India. We are one of the best democracies in the world," said Pralhad Joshi.
Here is all you need to know about the legislation:
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced on Thursday in the Lok Sabha to amend the Waqf Act, 1995. The bill seeks to "effectively address issues" related to the powers of the State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Waqf Act provides for the renaming of the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
It seeks to clearly define "waqf" as waqf by any person practising Islam for at least five years and having ownership of such property and ensure that the creation of Waqf-alal-aulad does not lead to the denial of inheritance rights to women.
It also seeks to omit the provisions relating to the "waqf by user", provide the functions of the Survey Commissioner to the Collector or any other officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector duly nominated by the Collector for the survey of waqf properties, provide for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensure representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims.
It provides for the representation of Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Agakhani and other backward classes among Muslim communities, streamlining the manner of registration of waqfs through a central portal and database and providing for a detailed procedure for mutation as per revenue laws with due notice to all concerned before recording any property as waqf property.
The bill further seeks to omit section 40 relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is waqf property, provide for filing of accounts of waqf by mutawallis to the Board through a central portal for better control over their activities, reform the Tribunal structure with two members and provide for appeals against the orders of the Tribunal to the High Court within a specified period of ninety days.
