Muslim law board stages protest against Waqf Bill at Jantar Mantar

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) led a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Monday. It was joined by several MPs, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi cautioning NDA constituents TDP, JD(U) and LJP (Ramvilas) that Muslims will never forgive them if they support the legislation.

A host of Muslim organisations joined hands under the aegis of the AIMPLB to stage the demonstration at Jantar Mantar here.

Speaking at the protest site, Owaisi claimed that the Narendra Modi government's intention to bring the Waqf Bill is to disturb peace in the country. "The prime minister's intention is that people keep fighting over mandir-masjid. Safeguarding Waqf properties is not the bill's objective," the AIMIM chief said.

"The Bill attempts to take way Muslims' mosques, dargahs and cemeteries. We are cautioning (TDP chief) Chandrababu Naidu, (LJP-Ramvilas chief Chirag) Paswan sahab and (JD-U's) Nitish Kumar. Remember that till the world exists, if you support this Bill at this critical juncture, Muslims will never forgive you because it would be passed with your support," Owaisi said.

"Don't support this unconstitutional bill," he added.

Owaisi also pointed out that the bill allows for non-Muslims to be part of the Waqf council and boards, whereas in the management of endowments of other religions, only those belonging to that community are made members.

"The government is going to take an unconstitutional and anti-Muslim step," the Lok Sabha MP said.

Speaking to reporters at the protest site, Congress leader and former Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid claimed that the Bill is not valid constitutionally and people are not satisfied with it. Shia cleric Kalbe Jawad alleged that the Bill's sole intention is to grab Waqf properties.

"Waqf grants Muslims the same rights that other religions enjoy over their institutions. If every faith has the right to administer its affairs, why are Muslims being singled out," Syed Sadatullah Husaini, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and vice-president of AIMPLB, asked.

Political leaders from a host of opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party's Awadhesh Prasad and Syed Naseer Hussain of the Congress, took part in the protest. The dharna was to be held on March 13 but was postponed in view of holidays on account of Holi.

AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas said that after careful consideration, the board came to the conclusion that the proposed legislation will pave the way for the "usurping" of Waqf properties, which would be a "direct attack" on Muslims.

The protest came amid the ongoing Budget session during which the Waqf Bill could be introduced with a joint committee of Parliament having submitted its report on the proposed legislation.

The 31-member panel on the Bill, after multiple sittings and hearings, suggested several amendments to the proposed legislation, even as the opposition members disagreed with the report and submitted dissent notes.

The panel submitted the 655-page report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30. The joint committee adopted the report containing changes suggested by the members from the BJP by a 15-11 majority vote. The move prompted the opposition to dub the exercise as an attempt to destroy Waqf boards.

The Bill was referred to the joint committee on August 8, following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.