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Maulana Shahabuddin, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, addressed concerns surrounding the Waqf Amendment Bill, assuring Muslims that it will not pose any threat to mosques, madrasas, or dargahs.
He stated that these concerns were being spread to "intimidate and mislead the Muslim community." "The JPC committee created by the parliament on the Waqf Amendment Bill has submitted its report to the parliament. The leaders of the political community have made noise and ruckus on this matter, and to intimidate the Muslims and to mislead Muslims, it is being said that if this bill comes, then the mosques will be at risk to the 'madrasas', the 'Khanqahs', so I want to assure the common Muslims this. This Waqf Amendment Bill does not threaten the mosque. No madrasa is in danger. No 'dargah' cemetery is at risk. Those who are saying these things are spreading rumours," he said. He further explained the original intent of Waqf property, saying, "The intention of the land that our elders had owned for their property was that this would help the poor, helpless 'Yateem Beva Muslims'... But People of the Waqf Board, Chairman members and concerned officers, along with landlords, destroyed all the land and sold the property and they deposited all that money in their treasury. Not a single penny is being spent on these poor Muslims." Maulana Shahabuddin assured that the Waqf Bill will help end corruption within the Waqf Board. "Waqf Bill will end corruption in Waqf Board, the misappropriation of Waqf property till date will be stopped and the income from it will help poor children and mosques will be built... This bill is a threat to those politicians and land mafias who are doing business or selling Waqf land by occupying it," he said. The Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in Parliament on Thursday amid uproar. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the Centre brought the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to divert the people's attention from this year's Budget that was "disappointing and frustrating." "The Budget which did not provide jobs, did not double the income of farmers, did not increase trade... that budget was disappointing and frustrating," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here. "This government has cheated... and has deliberately brought such a bill (Waqf (Amendment) Bill) to divert the attention of the public," he added. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni presented the report in the Rajya Sabha. She also tabled a copy of the record of evidence given before the panel. JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagadambika Pal tabled the report in the Lok Sabha amid Opposition sloganeering against the report. In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs alleged that dissent notes submitted by the Opposition members were not included in the panel's report. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, rejected the allegation. (ANI)
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