Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statement about Waqf (Amendment) Bill, has sparked political controversy. On Monday the CM stated that targeting a single community would only escalate tensions. Speaking to the media regarding protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Abdullah explained that the charitable activities of the Muslim community are carried out through the Waqf Board.
What Omar Said
“There is no religion that does not do charitable activities. The charitable activities of the Muslim community happen through Waqf… Only one community is being targeted. It is obvious there would be tensions surrounding it,” Abdullah said. A day earlier, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced a nationwide agitation against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill.
A statement issued by Mohd Vaquar Uddin Latifi, Office Secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said, “Following a massive and successful protest in Delhi on March 17, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has announced a nationwide agitation against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill.
Worldwide Agitation On Waqf Amendment Bill
SQR Ilyas, spokesperson of AIMPLB and Convener of the Action Committee Against the Waqf Bill, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Board to all Muslim organizations, civil society groups, and leaders from Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, and other minority communities.
“Without the grace of Allah and the united support of these groups, the success of the Delhi demonstration would not have been possible,” he said. He also extended thanks to the opposition parties and Members of Parliament who not only participated in large numbers but also firmly rejected the proposed legislation.
The statement stated that the AIMPLB’s 31-member Action Committee has resolved to adopt all constitutional, legal, and democratic means to “oppose” what it has termed a “controversial, discriminatory, and damaging” bill. “As part of the first phase of the agitation, large protest sit-ins have been planned in front of the state assemblies in Patna on March 26 and Vijayawada on March 29.”
Public conferences, seminars, symposiums, and dharnas will be organized at the district level, and memorandums will be submitted to the President of India through District Magistrates, the statement added.
However, reacting to the protests, Waqf JPC Chairman and BJP MP Jaagdambika Pal on Monday said that they are trying to create “instability” in the nation.
“Whether it is Imran Masood or AIMPLB, they are trying to misguide the minorities. They are trying to create instability in the nation through their protests… We had called AIMPLB in front of the Waqf JPC. We recorded and incorporated their views… What is the AIMPLB protesting against when the government has not even brought the amended bill yet?” the Waqf JPC Chairman told ANI.
“The law has not even been made yet, so why are they warning for a nationwide protest? … Imran Masoon was a member of the JPC, and he took part in the clause-by-clause voting process. He knows that a better act is on its way… The new law will benefit the poor and remove those who benefitted themselves, yet they are protesting to spread anarchy,” Pal added.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitization, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)
Congress On Waqf Amendment Bill
Calling the Waqf Amendment Bill an attack on the Constitution, the Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of using it as part of a larger effort to demonize minorities. The party claimed that by spreading propaganda against their traditions, the BJP aims to keep society divided along communal lines.
According to the Congress, the bill seeks to weaken constitutional provisions that ensure equal rights and protection for all citizens, regardless of religion. As the Centre prepares to introduce the bill for discussion and passage in Parliament, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh highlighted five key reasons why the legislation is “deeply flawed.”
He argued that the bill deliberately undermines institutions responsible for administering waqfs, reducing their stature, composition, and authority. This, he claimed, is an intentional move to strip the community of its right to manage its own religious traditions and affairs. “Deliberate ambiguity has been introduced for determining who can donate their land for waqf purposesthus altering the very definition of waqf itself,” he said. Ramesh said the ‘waqf-by-user’ concept developed by the nation’s judiciary is being abolished.
