‘Should Not be Recorded in History, Owaisi’s Party Opposed Steps for Welfare of Muslims’: Delhi Hajj Committee Chair

On Monday, Delhi State Haj Committee Chairperson and BJP leader, Kausar Jahan, made a plea to opposition parties not to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, for mere political reasons. Her appeal followed All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi’s call for a nationwide protest against the bill.

Kausar Jahan specifically urged opposition parties, including Owaisi’s AIMIM, Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party, to refrain from opposing the bill, warning that history may remember them as obstructing efforts aimed at the betterment of Muslims. “Please don’t oppose just for the sake of opposition and political motives,” she said. “It should not be recorded in history that Owaisi sahib’s party, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and other opposition parties opposed steps for the welfare of Muslims.”

She emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in any board’s operations, questioning Owaisi’s faith in the Constitution despite his role as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). “Waqf reforms should have been implemented much earlier. There’s significant corruption at present. Any board functions better when there’s transparency and accountability,” she added.

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On September 1, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi had criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, during a protest gathering in Telangana, calling for a nationwide protest. “We have gathered here on behalf of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board because of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, brought by the Modi government,” Owaisi said, asserting that the bill contradicts the Constitution.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995. It aims to clearly define “Waqf” as property established by a person practicing Islam for at least five years and owning such property. Additionally, the bill ensures that Waqf-alal-aulad does not result in the denial of inheritance rights to women. It also proposes omitting Section 40, which relates to the Board’s power to determine whether a property is Waqf, mandates filing Waqf accounts via a central portal, reforms the Tribunal structure, and establishes a separate Board of Auqaf for Boharas and Aghakhanis.

The bill, introduced during the Parliament’s budget session, was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny. On August 30, the JPC, led by MP Jagadambika Pal, held its second meeting in the Parliament House Annexe. The committee invited views from various Muslim organizations, including All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, Indian Muslims for Civil Rights, and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.

During the meeting, concerns were raised about various clauses in the bill, with “Waqf by Users” being a particularly contentious issue. Muslim representatives argued that this matter touches on religious faith and practice, urging the government not to interfere.

The JPC has invited feedback and suggestions from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions, according to a press release by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.