According to an estimate, the Waqf Board has slightly less land than the army and railways in the country. About 8.7 lakh registered lands belong to the Board, whose area is around 9.4 lakh acres. It means to say that the Waqf Board cannot be taken lightly. It is being said that the government can reduce the unlimited powers of the board by bringing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill this week. Like CAA, this issue is also related to the Muslim minorities of the country. Obviously there is bound to be opposition to this. It is possible that this time there will be an even stronger protest than the one that was made against CAA. In 2019, when the CAA law was passed by the Parliament, there was so much opposition that the government could not muster the courage to implement it for almost four years. The thing to think about is that when CAA had no direct impact on the Muslims of the country, then such a big movement was started. Lakhs of Muslims of the country are associated with the Waqf Board. It is a matter of wealth worth billions and trillions. Obviously the heat of protest is going to be much higher this time. In the cabinet meeting on Friday, the proposal for 40 amendments in the Waqf Act has been approved. After the amendment bill is passed in the Parliament, there is talk of reducing the uncontrolled powers of the Waqf Board, but no one is talking about those reforms which are necessary for the minority community.
Why oppose necessary reforms in Waqf Board?
It is being told that till 2009, the Waqf Board had 3 lakh registered Waqf properties of up to 4 lakh acres. Waqf land doubled in just 13 years. As of today, there are more than 8 lakh 72 thousand 292 registered Waqf immovable properties spread over 8 lakh acres of land. How did this happened ? In 2013, the Congress-led UPA government amended the Basic Waqf Act of 1995 and gave more powers to the Waqf boards. The Act was amended to give unlimited powers to Waqf boards to expropriate property, which cannot be challenged in any court. The objective of the board is to ensure the protection of Waqf properties and their proper management, but after the enactment of this law, the Waqf Board started playing some other game. It is said that in the amendment made in 2013, the Waqf Board was given the right that if the Waqf Board declares that it is Waqf property, then no one will be able to save it. Because even the court has not been given the right to hear against the board in the amendment of 2013. Obviously, if this law is amended in the new Waqf Board Bill, then it should not be opposed.
People belonging to the Muslim community themselves are asking why the government is not amending the Waqf Board law? Only powerful people are included in the board. Allegations of corruption are also being made. There is a demand to make arrangements for transparency. Former UP government minister and BJP leader Mohsin Raza says that there was a demand of the entire country and society that such a law should be brought. The Waqf Board has misused the 1995 law a lot. Waqf boards have become autocratic and misused their powers. If any property is wrongly registered as Waqf property then how will it be removed? The Waqt Board is not a court which decides which is Waqf property and which is not. Our officers have the right to take decisions. This amendment is being brought so that if there is any complaint, it will be heard by our officers and the officers will tell what action the Waqf Board should take.
Waqf property has become the property of powerful leaders like Owaisi, people will definitely protest
Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), says that our ancestors donated a large part of their property and they made it Waqf under Islamic law. It is important that the property should be used only for the charitable purposes for which it was donated by our ancestors. But here such a huge board does not have money for the welfare of poor Muslims. Because the powerful Muslims have not only captured the board but also have control over the Waqf lands. Waqf Welfare Forum Chairman Javed Ahmed said that the government’s intention was right and claimed that if the new bill can be implemented properly then the minority will benefit a lot. Javed says that Owaisi’s work is being done on properties worth Rs 3 thousand crores or more in Telangana. This property belongs to Waqf. The Act says that Waqf property cannot be taken on lease for more than 30 years. But it is not being followed. Also, in return the Waqf gets a very nominal rent, whereas as a rule this rent should be as per the market.
Not only Owaisi, there are many other powerful people in the Muslim community who have been taking Waqf property on lease for years. Jamaat-e-Ulama Hind has a lot of Waqf property in Delhi. But neither the board nor the deprived Muslims are getting any benefit from this. Similarly, Maharashtra Waqf Board Chairman Qazi Sameer has encroached on 275 acres of Waqf. There will be two hundred such leaders and institutions. If the bill comes, there will be transparency.
Opposition parties have sounded the bugle against BJP
Such an atmosphere is being created regarding the Waqf Board Bill that the Bharatiya Janata Party led central government is bringing this bill to harass the Muslims of the country. Many leaders have started openly saying that the BJP government wants to grab Waqf Board lands through this law. It is clear that a base is being prepared to instigate Muslims against the government. The way Muslims were instigated against CAA, exactly the same is happening.
Congress is not saying anything openly. Just as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not mention CAA anywhere in both his visits, nor did he ever take the name of CAA in his speeches. Something similar is still going on with the Waqf Board. But it cannot be said what the stand of Congress will be in the coming days.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had strongly opposed the CAA. At present, since he is in jail, it remains to be seen what stand the Aam Aadmi Party shows. However, AAP leader Sanjay Singh has criticized it. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has sounded the bugle against this bill.
Akhilesh Yadav said, ‘BJP has no work except snatching the rights of Muslim brothers. BJP wants to snatch away the right to freedom or the right to follow their religion, the right to maintain their working system, which they have got.
The opposition of Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is well known. They had to oppose the government on this issue. He says that this amendment in the Waqf Act is being done with the intention of snatching away the Waqf properties. This is an attack on the right to religious freedom given in the Constitution. Right from the beginning, RSS has had the intention of snatching Waqf properties.
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari also feels that the government has its eyes somewhere else, its target somewhere else. Targeting a particular religion, raising controversial issues, so that real issues are not discussed, the present government at the Center adopts these methods. Obviously the ground for protest has been prepared.