Mumbai, Sep 8 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar was on Sunday met by a delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board at his residence. During this, the delegation submitted a memorandum regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill-2024 and demanded the rejection of the bill.
The delegation of All India Muslim Personal Law Board told Sharad Pawar that the Waqf Amendment Bill-2024 is against the Constitution of India. Board General Secretary ML Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi told Pawar that it is being falsely claimed that any land or property claimed by the Waqf Board automatically becomes its property.
He said the reality is that thousands of acres of Waqf land are in illegal possession of the Central and State governments, among others, and efforts have been made for years to get them back. However, after the passage of this controversial bill, all the land will be taken away from the possession of the Waqf Board. He said under the existing Waqf Act (1995), there is a multi-tier judicial system to settle such disputes. After the Waqf Tribunal, there is an option to appeal to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. But with this amendment, all judicial cases will be transferred to the District Collector/DM. No collector in the country will dare to take a decision against the government.
The delegation also strongly opposed the proposal to include non-Muslim members in the Wakf Board and Central Wakf Council and removal of the requirement of being a Muslim for the post of CEO. Highlighting other shortcomings of the bill, the general secretary said, “We believe that this bill has been introduced with the intention of taking over the Wakf properties, which is completely unacceptable to us. Instead of any amendment in the bill, Muslims reject it.”
The delegation demanded Sharad Pawar to put pressure on his party and the All India Alliance government so that the bill can be withdrawn. Pawar assured the Muslim representatives that we will not let this bill be passed in Parliament under any circumstances. The general secretary of the board thanked Pawar for this assurance.
The delegation included prominent personalities of the Muslim community of Mumbai. These included Maulana Mahmood Ahmed Khan Daryabadi, Abu Asim Azmi, Dr. Zaheer Qazi, Mufti Saidur Rahman, Salim Motorwala, Shia religious leader Maulana Ruh Zafar, Shakir Sheikh, Maulana Anees Ahmed Ashrafi, Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Dr. Alimuddin, Hafiz Iqbal Chunawala, Naeem Sheikh and Sahil Subedar.
–IANS
PSK/CBT