Potential Waqf property seizure under new Bill: MPCI chief Rehmani

New Delhi: The Central government on Thursday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the laws governing the Waqf boards in the country.

In an interview with IANS, Taslim Rehmani, President of the Muslim Political Council of India (MPCI), shared his concerns about the Waqf Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Pointing out that the Bill proposes to grant powers to District Magistrates (DMs), Rehmani said that if this happens, the long-standing agenda of the BJP and RSS will be realised, leading to the potential seizure of Waqf properties from Muslims within the next six months.

He also acknowledged that while the Bill has some positive aspects, it also contains provisions that could drastically alter the nature of the Waqf Board.

While Rehmani welcomed the inclusion of women, he criticised the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf Board, calling it illegal.

He argued that only members of the relevant community should be part of such boards, questioning why non-Muslims would be included in the Waqf Board when there are no Muslims in trusts like those formed for the Babri Masjid and the Ram Janmabhoomi.

This is a wrong tradition which is against Article 26 of the Constitution, he claimed.

Rehmani further criticised the idea of transferring the Waqf Board's management from the Waqf to the DM and CM, suggesting this could lead to arbitrary decisions about whether a property is recognised as Waqf property.

He also noted that this shifts the burden of proof onto the Waqf, which he views as a violation of civil law.

“You want to take away the entire management of the Waqf Board from the Waqf and hand it over to the DM. This means that the magistrate may or may not accept a property as Waqf property. As per the civil law, the claimant has to prove his claim. This is against our civil law," he said.

Moreover, Rehmani expressed concern about the potential misuse of power by DMs, recalling the 1948 incident when the DM of Faizabad ordered the locking of the Babri Masjid, a decision which had significant repercussions over the following decades.

He also warned that if this Bill is passed, it could result in widespread confiscation of Waqf properties from the Muslim community within a short period.

"If we give power to the DM, I want to remind you that in 1948, the DM of Faizabad had used his power to lock the Babri Masjid of the Waqf Board. You can understand... What was its result between 1948 and 2019? If this Bill is passed and the Collector or the DM gets power, properties will be snatched from the hands of the Muslims within the next six months," Rehmani said.

IANS