INDI alliance is opposing pro-good-governance bill to support land grabbers: BJP’s Shehzad Poonawala

New Delhi [India], August 8 (ANI): Ahead of the introduction of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament today, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala slammed the opposition and said that the leaders of the INDI alliance people are trying to oppose the pro-transparency and pro-good-governance bill.

Adding further, Poonawala said that the opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill by leaders of the INDI alliance shows that they are not pro-Muslim instead they are pro-land grabbers.

In a video, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said, “Why INDI alliance people are trying to oppose the pro-transparency and pro-good-governance bill? It clearly shows that they are not pro-Muslims rather pro-land grabbers.”

Referring to the reports of the Sachar Committee, 9th JPC Report and Dargah Committee request, Poonawala asserted that it was a longstanding demand of the Muslim community to bring changes in the laws related to the Waqf so that it can work in the favour of the poor Muslims.

“The people who recommended the changes in Waqf Bill were part of the Muslim community only, whether it was Sachar Committee, 9th JPC Report or Dargah Committee request on behalf of all dargahs of India or whether it is about representation of Aghakhanis or Bohra community or women,” said Poonawala.

Hitting out at the opposition, a BJP spokesperson said that to support the vote bank politics and appeasement, Congress gave unlimited powers to the Waqf Board.

“It was a longstanding demand of the Muslim community to bring changes in the laws related to the Waqf, so it can work in the favour of poor Muslims instead of being a medium of land grabbing and land jihad. We have seen how the Congress party with time changed Waqf laws and gave unlimited powers to them just for appeasement. They (Waqf) got the power to declare anyone’s land as theirs and in return, the latter has to tell that the land doesn’t belong to the Waqf Board,” said the BJP spokesperson.

Citing a case, he stated, “Recently, there was a case in the Madhya Pradesh High Court where the judge said that with such powers they declared Taj Mahal, a village in Tamil Nadu and temples land as their own, we have seen various such examples. Some people are opposing the Waqf amendment bill for their vote bank politics and to support land grabbers. They are the same people who opposed CAA by saying that Muslims citizenship would be cancelled, but no any citizenship was cancelled. Without knowing the facts and changes of the bill, they are opposing it and saying Muslim lands will be taken,” it added.

Alleging that some rich Muslim families are only troubled by this bill, Poonawala stated, “After Railways and Defence, Waqf Board comes third position in number in the list of maximum land holding, which is around 9 lakh acre, but it is amazed to know that it has an income of less than Rs 200 crores. It clearly shows that only some prosperous Muslim families who have political backing and use Waqf property as theirs are troubled by this amendment bill. They are trying hard to instigate people against the Waqf Amendment Bill and their political leaders are also trying to do the same.”

Earlier in the day, Congress Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal submitted a notice to oppose the introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. Congress MP Hibi Eden also gave notice to oppose the bill. The Samajwadi Party will also oppose the Waqf Bill in Parliament.

Notably, the BJP-led government is slated to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday to amend the Waqf Act, 1995. The bill seeks to “effectively address issues” related to the powers of the State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is listed for introduction by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha.

Congres MP K Suresh who is the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha said that the opposition is not in favour of the bill. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP ET Muhammed Basheer said that the issue is serious as the government is attempting to capture the rights of the Waqf Board.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owais has given notice to oppose the amendments to the Waqf Act. In his motion filed before the Lok Sabha, the AIMIM MP said the bill was against Freedom of Religion and in violation of the principle of non-discrimination.

“I oppose the introduction of the Bill under rule 72 (2) on the grounds that this house does not have the competence to make these amendments. The Bill patently violates the principles provided in Articles 14, 15 and 25. It is both discriminatory and arbitrary. Moreover, it is a grave attack on the basic structure of the Constitution as it violates the principle of judicial independence and separation of powers,” Owaisi said in his motion.

Apart from introducing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Kiren Rijiju will also introduce The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 which seeks to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Waqf Act provides for the renaming of the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995. It seeks to clearly define “waqf” as waqf by any person practising Islam for at least five years and having ownership of such property and ensure that the creation of Waqf-alal-aulad does not lead to the denial of inheritance rights to women.

It also seeks to omit the provisions relating to the “waqf by user”, provide the functions of the Survey Commissioner to the Collector or any other officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector duly nominated by the Collector for the survey of waqf properties, provide for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensure representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of a separate Board of Auqaf for Boharas and Aghakhanis. It provides for the representation of Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Agakhani and other backward classes among Muslim communities, streamlining the manner of registration of waqfs through a central portal and database and providing for a detailed procedure for mutation as per revenue laws with due notice to all concerned before recording any property as waqf property.

The bill seeks to omit section 40 relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is waqf property, provide for filing of accounts of waqf by mutawallis to the Board through a central portal for better control over their activities, reform the Tribunal structure with two members and provide for appeals against the orders of the Tribunal to the High Court within a specified period of ninety days.