Manipur BJP ally’s MLA moves Supreme Court against Waqf Act

Imphal: In Manipur, an MLA of BJP’s ally, National People's Party (NPP), Sheikh Noorul Hassan, moved the Supreme Court against the Waqf Amendment Act. In his petition, he called the law discriminatory, and it singles out Muslims when no similar restrictions are imposed on other religious communities bequeathing their property through will or gift deeds, The Telegraph reported.

Hassan, who represents the Kshetrigao constituency, filed the petition. Manipur has been witnessing protests over the amendments in recent days. Since Sunday last, the Muslim-majority areas of Thoubal witnessed tensions after the state BJP Minority Morcha president Md Akser Ali’s house was torched by a mob for his support of the Act.

Hassan’s petition read, “Be it any temple or any other religious endowment, the administration of such institutions shall be left to the people from the faith to maintain sanctity and to ensure that such institutions function as per their faith-specific laws,” The Telegraph quoted.

“However, the impugned Act’s imposition of non-Muslims and officers on waqf governance singles out Muslims, violating equality under Article 14, equality and religious autonomy under Article 26, setting a dangerous precedent for other faiths,” the petition said.

Further, it argued, “When wills and gifts, granting exclusive rights to one against all others, are perfectly valid and protected by the law, the executor of Waqfalal-aulad (similar will or gift by a Muslim) has been barred from exercising his exclusivity, thereby making that despite an existence of Waqfalal-aulad, the law of inheritance will apply across the property.”