Mumbai: Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has said that while the Waqf Amendment Bill has curtailed some of the excessive powers granted to the Waqf Board, it still fails to fully safeguard the lands belonging to the Hindu community. It demanded that the government must seriously consider the recommendations put forth by Hindu representatives before the Joint Parliamentary Committee and take corrective measures.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. While the amendment in the law has sparked heated debates across the country, right-wing Hindu organisation Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has demanded protection for the land belonging to the Hindu community in the bill.
On Thursday, the organisation said that it fully supports the removal of certain draconian provisions in the proposed bill. However, it raised concerns regarding Section 3(c) of the bill which states that only government-owned lands will be investigated and if lands belonging to Hindu temples, trusts, other communities, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been unjustly classified as Waqf properties, they will not be subject to retrospective scrutiny. HJS said that the bill provides no assurance that such lands will be restored to the Hindu community.
The Hindu organisation demanded that further amendments to the bill are necessary to ensure the complete protection of Hindu property rights. It demanded that all lands previously designated as Waqf properties be thoroughly investigated and illegitimate Waqf claims on Hindu temples, trusts, properties of other communities, and ASI-protected sites be immediately annulled. It also demanded that the special privileges granted to the Waqf Board be entirely revoked.
Ramesh Shinde, national spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, said, “The government must take corrective measures to rectify the historical injustices inflicted upon Hindu-owned lands. The struggle for Hindu rights will continue, and the community must unite to raise its voice in defence of its lands.”
