Attacking the Opposition for opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams on Tuesday said that poor Muslims are looking toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, contrasting it with the past 70 years of governance.
Speaking to media, Shams highlighted that the PM Modi-led government aims to bring poor Muslims into the mainstream.
“Poor Muslims have hopes from PM Modi, and that is why we have named this amendment bill as ‘Ummeed’. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is the ray of hope… PM Modi’s government has decided that they will bring the poor Muslims into the mainstream. It is ’70 saal Vs Modi Karyakal’,” Shams said.
Slams Opposition Over Waqf Property “Looting”
Criticizing the Opposition, Shams accused previous governments of exploiting Waqf properties for decades.
“They looted Waqf. They looted the rights of the poor… They are scaring the Muslims by saying that mosques would be taken away. Those who are opposing are not Muslims. They are political Muslims of Congress, Samajwadi Party, AAP, and Janata Dal. There are NGOs and committees behind them, such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and the Muslim Personal Law Board, who want to go to the Rajya Sabha through a backdoor… All of them are Waqf beneficiaries. They are worried that it would be taken away from them… They are worried because it is going to be taken away from the rich. We are sure that PM Modi will pass the Waqf Amendment Bill and give the poor Muslims their rights.”
Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024: A Key Parliamentary Debate
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is set to be tabled in Parliament on April 2, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress issuing whips to their MPs to ensure maximum participation in the House.
- The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, addressing issues in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
- It introduces better administrative processes, updates definitions, and incorporates technology for managing Waqf records.
- The previous Waqf Act of 1995 has been criticized for mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
Tense Political Environment Over the Bill
With no bipartisan consensus, the bill’s fate will be decided based on the ruling BJP-led NDA’s majority in Parliament.
- The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief whip Dharmendra Yadav has issued a three-line whip to all SP MPs in the Lok Sabha, urging them to participate in discussions.
- The bill was initially presented in August 2023 and was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee led by Jagdambika Pal for further examination.
The government argues that the Waqf reforms are necessary to protect the rights of poor Muslims, while the Opposition claims the changes could lead to government overreach into Waqf properties.
With a crucial 8-hour debate scheduled in Parliament, the final outcome of the bill will depend on the majority vote in the House.