AIMPLB delegation seeks K’taka govt’s support to oppose Waqf Bill

Bengaluru, Aug 31 (IANS): A delegation of the office-bearers of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence Kaveri in Bengaluru on Saturday and sought the Karnataka government’s support to oppose the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill by the Union government.

General Secretary of the AIMPLB, Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi appealed to the CM that the Board seeks his support for opposing the Bill and persuading the Centre not to pass it in Parliament.

“The Government is projecting these issues in a very innocent manner, portraying as if it is beneficial to the community. The Muslim community at large knows and understands that this is a game of the central government. On the face of it, the proposed amendments are arbitrary and violative of Articles 25, 26, 29 and 14 of the Constitution of India,” he stated.

“Even otherwise, even if it was not violative of the Constitution, laws like this on paper may look simple but their use under the hand of hostile establishments against a few targeted communities makes them a source of discontentment among the public in general, and in the present case, it will become a basis for the discontentment of the Muslim community at large,” he maintained.

“The regulation of the Waqf can only be minimal. The scheme of regulatory laws cannot be in the nature which places the entire or substantive control of the said Waqf properties in the hands of the government or government-nominated people outside the community which has given properties in Waqf,” he said.

“The concept of Waqf emanates from Islamic religion and it is an outcome of religious charities. While creating a Waqf, a person dedicates his moveable or immovable property in the name of God and the benefit of such dedicated properties is used for the stated objective,” he maintained.