Waqf Bill: Shia Cleric says, "Govt wants to make Hindus happy by harming Muslims"

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Maulana Jawad asserted that the government cannot break the love between the two communities through its wrong policies.

"All Waqf properties are public property because the public has donated it for good causes. Waqf Board is only a chowkidaar, not the owner. Just like the central government is the chowkidaar of India, not the owner. The second thing is that you are saying for Waqf that the poor will be benefited. There are more than five lakh temples and there are thousands of tons of gold and silver in the temples. Why is it not being distributed among the poor? There is so much gold in these temples, if it is distributed then every poor Hindu will become rich. The second thing is that if this gold goes back to the Reserve Bank, then the dollar will come down to Rs 20 and inflation will end," he said.

"You want to make Hindus happy by harming Muslims whereas this is just your illusion because Hindus and Muslims can never be happy by harming each other. You cannot break the love between them through your wrong policies," Maulana Jawad said.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called for a protest on March 17 at Delhi's Janta Mantar against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.

Addressing a press conference here today, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, spokesperson of the AIMPLB, said that the government wants to create division between Hindus and Muslims and desires unrest in the country.

The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)