Call to oppose new Waqf Amendment Bill

Hyderabad: Telangana Waqf Board Chairman Syed Azmatullah Hussani has appealed to all Muslim intellectuals, Imams, Muazzins, Ulemas, Mashaikheens and other important personalities to send their objections in large numbers on the ‘New Waqf Amendment Bill – 2024’ which has 40 changes, most of it against to the Muslim community and the Waqf Board.

Azmatullah said that as part of the exercise to bring awareness of the new Waqf Amendment Bill, the Telangana Waqf Board has set up the teams to visit important places including mosques, educational institutions, etc. to send their objections to the Joint Parliamentary Party Committee (JPPC) in large number. The campaign will start from September 13.

Azmatullah pointed out that the Muslim population in the country is about 25 crore, but not even one percent of the representation. He added that if the community does not respond to this in large numbers like NRC protests, there is a danger of passing the Bills in the Parliament.

After attending the JPPC meeting on September 6 in Delhi on behalf of the Telangana Waqf Board, the seven-member team including him explained their objections point-by-point to JPPC on all the 40 amendments and given their objections in writing as well as soft copy. He felt that the JPPC members comprising 30 members including Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi felt that the members of the Telangana Waqf Board had come with total preparation and gave satisfactory answers.

The Waqf Board Chairman said that they have raised the objection on inducting two non-Muslims in the Waqf Board Committee, giving powers to the Collectors on the Waqf property to decide whether it is Waqf property or not, etc. Such an Amendment is very dangerous to the existence of Waqf Board and Muslim rights, he said. If the Bill is passed as it is, it would be dangerous to the Muslim community and there is danger of losing the Waqf property, he warned.