Muslim Personal Law Board urges MPs to oppose Waqf Amendment Bill
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 and has appealed to all secular political parties, including allies of the ruling BJP, to reject it in Parliament. The bill is set to be presented on April 2, Wednesday and the Board has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) not to support it “under any circumstances.”
The President of AIMPLB, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, called the proposed amendment unfair and unconstitutional, stating that it violates Articles 14, 25, and 26 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality and religious freedom.
According to him, the bill is part of a larger plan to weaken Waqf laws and make it easier for government authorities to seize Waqf properties.
He pointed out that, despite the existence of the Places of Worship Act, there is a growing trend of questioning the religious identity of mosques. If the amendment is passed, he warned, government officials such as Collectors and District Magistrates will have greater power to take control of Waqf properties. This, he said, could lead to an increase in illegal claims on these lands.
The Board President highlighted several key changes in the bill that he believes would harm the Waqf system. These include the removal of Waqf by-user, the lifting of exemptions from the Law of Limitation, and the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council.
Additionally, he criticized the proposed reduction in the powers of the Waqf Tribunal and the shift of dispute resolution to government officials rather than the Tribunal. He argued that these changes would strip Waqf properties of their legal protection and open the door for government control.
He also pointed out that similar legal protections exist for religious endowments of other communities, and targeting only Muslim Waqf properties would be discriminatory.
Maulana Rahmani expressed concern that such actions threaten India’s tradition of communal harmony and mutual respect between Hindus and Muslims. He stated, “our country is globally recognized for Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and for mutual respect for each other's religions, customs and festivals. However, unfortunately, the power of the nation is currently in the hands of those who seek to destroy this atmosphere of communal harmony and create anarchy and chaos.”
In his appeal, he urged MPs to stand with the Muslim community and oppose the bill, stating that millions of Muslims across India are counting on them to protect their rights.
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Fake notes with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them send police into tizzy in Sirsi
Sirsi (Karnataka), Apr 8 (PTI): The police in Uttar Kannada went into a tizzy on Tuesday after they found fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination from a house in Dandeli with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them.
Based on a tip-off, police searched a rented house at Gandhinagar in Dandeli and confiscated the fake currency notes along with a money counting machine.
Arshad Khan, who is said to be from Goa, was staying as a tenant in the house belonging to Noorjan Jhunjuwadkar, police said.
Police were informed after Jhunjuwadkar noticed that Khan was absent from the house for the past one month.
The fake currency notes had the inscription 'Reverse Bank of India' on them, but did not have the signature of the RBI governor, police said.
The notes were printed on a shining paper with only zeros written in the place of the number, and 'movie shooting purpose only' inscribed on them, police said.
A hunt is on to trace Khan to question him about the seizure, they added.
