Delhi: Muslim law board stages protest over Waqf Bill at Jantar Mantar

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) led demonstrations against the proposed amendments in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill at Jantar Mantar

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on Monday.

While, the Rashtriya Hindu Sangathan staged its own protest, accusing Muslim groups of attempting to “divide India on religious lines”, AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani addressing the crowd said, “This fight is not just for Waqf; it’s a battle to protect our Constitution. We are not against any community but against this government and its draconian Bill. This struggle will not end until the Bill is rolled back.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Maulana Arshad Madani president Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said the Bill aims to seize Waqf properties. “How is it fair that the properties that belong to us be taken care of by someone else? This isn’t just a legal issue but a question of faith.”

He added that the interference by the government in religious was not welcome. “We do not welcome any interference in our religious issues, If the Constitution survives, the country will survive, if the country survives, we will survive.”

While, Anil Chaudhary, national president of the Rashtriya Hindu Sangathan, warned of dire consequences if such protests continued. “These people want to separate India based on religion, and we have to stop them immediately. We are here to request the government to take action against them,” he said.

Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and MP Assaduddin Owaisi added that dividing society in the name of Mandir and Masjid only serves to destroy peace. “The real agenda behind this Bill is to seize Waqf properties. Chandrababu and Nitish must remember: if this Bill passes, history will mark you for your anti-Muslim stance.”

Chaudhary further declared that his outfit would stage protests across the country, adding, “They are raising slogans like ‘Naare Takbeer’ while opposing the amendments. This is an attempt to create a situation like Shaheen Bagh, and it must be stopped.”

Another protester alleged that Waqf boards had encroached on their land in many places, and no

one was doing anything about it.

The AIMPLB-led protest saw participation from several religious and political leaders, including Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi MP; MP ET Mohammad Basheer; Independent MP Pappu Yadav; Salman Khurshid, former Congress MP; Abdul Hafeez, president of Students Islamic Organisation of India and Professor Jagmohan Singh, convener of Sikh Personal Law Board.

The demonstrations came in response to the approval of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has been revised by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).