New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party boss Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP Thursday morning over proposed amendments to 44 sections of the Waqf Act of 1995, declaring the Bill a pretext to profit from sale of Waqf-owned lands and that the ruling outfit should rename itself ‘Bharatiya Zameen (land) Party’.

Mr Yadav’s sarcastic swipe came hours before Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tables the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act in the Lok Sabha.

The proposed amendments will change 44 sections of the older legislation, including allowing non-Muslims and Muslim women to be named to central and state Waqf bodies. Among other major proposed changes are omission of Section 40 from the existing law, which allows the Board to classify properties; this means it can, under current rules, declare any of its properties as Waqf.

“All these amendments… are just an excuse. Selling land (owned by) Defence Ministry, Railways, and Nazul land (i.e., land inherited from the colonial British government) is the target. Waqf Board lands are just another link in the chain of ‘schemes for the benefit of BJP’…” Mr Yadav said in Hindi on X.

‘वक़्फ़ बोर्ड’ का ये सब संशोधन भी बस एक बहाना है
रक्षा, रेल, नज़ूल लैंड की तरह ज़मीन बेचना निशाना है

वक़्फ़ बोर्ड की ज़मीनें, डिफ़ेंस लैंड, रेल लैंड, नज़ूल लैंड के बाद ‘भाजपाइयों के लाभार्थ योजना’ की शृंखला की एक और कड़ी मात्र हैं। भाजपा क्यों नहीं खुलकर लिख देती : ‘भाजपाई-हित… pic.twitter.com/VwK3YyWAG5

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 8, 2024

“Why doesn’t BJP openly write: ‘Issued in interest of BJP’? BJP is working like a real estate company. It should change its name by adding ‘Zameen’ instead of ‘Janta’: Bhartiya Zameen Party.”

Mr Yadav called for a “written guarantee that Waqf Board lands will not be sold”.

Waqf Boards across India own nearly eight lakh acres, making it the largest private land-owning organisation. The Defence Ministry and the Railways have more, but they are government-owned.

The proposal to alter the Waqf Act has been heavily criticised by the opposition and some members of the Muslim community, and fiery protests are likely when the amendments are tabled later today.

Earlier today, Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Hibi Eden filed notices to oppose introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh Yadav’s party will also oppose the Bill.

NDTV Explains | Non-Muslims On Boards, Council Can’t Claim Land: Waqf Changes

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has given notice to oppose the amendments, claiming it is against rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including freedom to practice religion. “The amendments are discriminatory and arbitrary, and are a grave attack on the basic structure of the Constitution as it violates principle of judicial independence and separation of powers,” Mr Owaisi said.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board said changes “will not be tolerated”. Spokesman SQR Ilyas said the government wants to change the status of Waqf properties so “possession is easier”. Also, the Tamil Nadu Board chief told NDTV called it a ploy to “weaken” and “destabilise” such organisations.

READ | ”No Need For Amendment”: Tamil Nadu Waqf Board On Centre’s Move

The government, however, has dismissed such claims.

Sources told NDTV the idea is to empower Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law. The objective, sources declared, is also to curb illegal occupancy of by Waqf boards.

READ | Waqf Law Change To Help Women, Say Government Sources

Sources also claimed a “dangerous narrative” is being manufactured by certain Muslim clerics who are making wild statements that their land will be snatched

The government, meanwhile, also wants the passage of the bill to be “inclusive” exercise, and is willing to send the amendments to a joint committee for further study, sources said.

The 1995 Wakf Act was passed to regulate ‘auqaf‘ (assets donated and notified as Waqf) by a ‘wakif’ (the person who dedicates the property). The legislation was last amended in 2013.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Amid the hue and cry over ‘curtailing’ of powers of the Waqf Board, particularly by Muslim outfits, the BJP-led NDA government is all set to introduce more than 40 amendments to the Act, by bringing two Bills in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The Bills are aimed at kick-starting reforms in the Waqf Board as it makes it compulsory for the body to have two women members on its panel.

Registration of Waqf property through a central portal and protection of rights of the Bohra community are other salient features of the proposed amendments.

The Amendment Bill also proposes to strip the Board of its power to declare any property as a ‘Waqf property’.

For this, Section 40 of the existing Waqf Board Act will be repealed.

As per the details of the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Waqf Act 1923 will be revoked and the structure of Waqf Act of 1995 will be altered, by introducing 44 amendments, for its better functioning and operation.

The proposed amendments also aim to enhance ‘inclusivity’ in the Waqf Board by ensuring women’s representation on the Central Waqf Council and state boards.

Proposed key changes in the new legislation are renaming of the Waqf Act 1995 as Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995; changes to ensure adequate representation of all Muslim communities including Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Aghakhani and other backward classes; a separate Board of Auqaf has been proposed for Bohras and Aghakhanis Central Waqf Council and the state Waqf Boards will have representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims.

The proposed changes have also found support from various dargah chiefs.

On Tuesday evening, a couple of them met Kiren Rijiju, the Minister for Minority Affairs and announced support to the legislation.

Taking to X, the Union minister said, “A delegation of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) comprising of the most revered & prominent Sajjadanashins from various Dargahs across India met me under the leadership of Shri Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman & Successor of the Present Spiritual Head of Ajmer Dargah to discuss a range of important issues concerning the Muslim community.

“They lauded & praised the efforts of PM Modi towards the welfare of the entire community and minorities in general.”

According to reports, Waqf Boards have a land bank of nearly 8.7 lakh properties, with total area spreading to about 9.4 lakh acres.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)