TCN Correspondent
Lucknow: The President of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, announced his staunch opposition to the proposed Waqf bill, asserting that AIMPLB members are prepared to risk their lives to oppose it. Speaking at a gathering in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, he contended that the government seeks to curtail the board’s rights and highlighted the widespread illegal occupation of Waqf properties.
“This issue is of utmost importance to us; we must stop the Waqf bill by any means necessary. If it comes to it, Muslims across the nation will crowd jails to the point where there’s no room left for actual criminals,” he declared, adding that they would not hesitate to “sacrifice” their lives if necessary.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, introduced in Parliament by the central government on July 28, faced significant backlash from Opposition parties and was subsequently referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The bill seeks to diminish the powers of Waqf boards, which currently have the authority to designate properties as “waqf property” and aims to include non-Muslims and Muslim women in the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards.
Earlier this month, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met a delegation of the AIMPLB. Following the meeting, the AIMPLB issued a statement, asserting that Soren would oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 if it were to be presented in Parliament. The delegation, led by Rahmani, met Soren on October 9 to outline their objections, arguing that the proposed legislation could lead to the expropriation of Waqf properties, a move they believe contradicts the Constitution, democratic principles, federalism and the nation’s pluralistic fabric.
During his address in Kanpur, Rahmani emphasised that the government’s objective is to seize waqf land from Muslims. He posed the rhetorical question, “If non-Muslims oversee Waqf boards, will they prioritize your mosques and graveyards? The inevitable outcome will be the loss of your land. This law poses a serious threat.”
He also highlighted the vast amounts of temple land in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, totaling around one million acres, compared to approximately 600,000 acres of Waqf land held by Muslims nationwide, questioning, “What is the issue with that?”
Rahmani further alleged that the central government is exerting pressure on some Waqf Board members to lose court cases and withhold crucial documents. He challenged, “In a dispute between the Waqf Board and the government, would the collector rule against the government? The collector serves the government.”
In a related incident on October 22, tensions flared during a meeting of the JPC on the Waqf Bill when Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee clashed with BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Frustrated, Banerjee smashed a glass water bottle on the table, injuring his thumb and index finger, leading to a one-day suspension from the Parliamentary committee for his disruptive conduct.