Muslim leaders express opposition to Waqf (Amendment) Bill at Jaipur conference

Jaipur: Prominent Muslim leaders and organisations voiced their opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill at a conference in Jaipur, arguing that it poses a serious threat to Muslim-held properties across India.

At the Tahaffuz-e-Auqaf conference held on the Moti Doongri Road here on Sunday, Saharanpur MP and Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) member Imran Masood accused the BJP of pushing a narrative aimed at dispossessing Muslims of their ancestral lands.

He dismissed accusations that Muslims are encroaching on public land, calling such claims "misleading" and designed to justify the amendment.

Masood stated that only Muslim-owned properties, including mosques, shrines and Idgahs, are facing intensified government scrutiny, describing this as part of a "plan to render Muslims landless".

Meanwhile, Adarsh Nagar MLA Rafeek Khan emphasized that the JPC should engage with actual stakeholders to understand their views on the Bill.

"Instead, they are giving time to individuals and groups who are neither stakeholders nor have any understanding of Waqf," he alleged.

"It is disappointing that JPC president Jagdambika Pal is allowing presentations from individuals who focus on praising PM Modi or discussing unrelated case studies," Khan claimed.

The MLA condemned the Bill's provision allowing non-Muslim MPs and MLAs to serve on Waqf boards, warning that it could lead to the inclusion of figures who have made anti-Muslim statements.

"Imagine leaders like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, MP Giriraj Singh or Jaipur MLA Balmukundacharya on a Waqf board," he exclaimed.

Khan also questioned whether similar provisions would be accepted by other religious communities, saying, "Would any Hindu temple trust allow a Muslim member on its board, especially one making key decisions? The answer is a clear 'no'."