India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI: A delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), led by General Secretary Maulana Muhammad Fazlurrahman Mujaddidi, met with Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole at Hotel Sofitel in the Bandra-Kurla complex on September 20. During the meeting, they presented a memorandum calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, asserting that it is unconstitutional.
Maulana Mujaddidi informed Mr. Patole that a misleading narrative has been circulating on social media, claiming that the Waqf Board can assert ownership over any land, compelling the government to hand it over. He clarified that, in reality, thousands of acres of Waqf land are illegally occupied, and efforts are ongoing to reclaim these properties. However, if this bill is passed, all such encroached lands would be removed from Waqf control.
The Board members explained that there is currently a multi-tiered judicial system for Waqf matters, allowing cases to progress from Waqf tribunals to the High Court and Supreme Court. However, the proposed amendments would transfer all judicial authority to district collectors, who would likely hesitate to make decisions counter to government interests.
Concerns were also raised about the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board and the proposal to eliminate the requirement for the CEO to be a Muslim. The delegation expressed that the bill seems designed to facilitate the occupation of Waqf lands, which they find entirely unacceptable. They firmly rejected the bill in its entirety rather than seeking amendments.
Maulana Mujaddidi emphasized that Waqf lands are not public property but private property that belonged to Muslims, who dedicated these assets for charitable purposes to benefit the community. Therefore, Muslims demand the immediate withdrawal of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. He urged opposition parties to pressure the government to retract this regressive bill, warning that Muslims would be compelled to fight against it until their last breath, as guaranteed by their constitutional rights.
After hearing the concerns of the Muslim representatives, Patole assured them that he would communicate the sentiments of Maharashtra’s Muslims to his party leadership. He affirmed that his party has always stood for the truth and supported the fight for justice alongside the Muslim community. He also promised his personal cooperation.
The delegation included important figures such as Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Khan Daryabadi, Dr. Zahir Qazi, Fareed Sheikh, Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Maulana Anis Ahmad Ashrafi, Shia scholar Agha Rooh Zafar, Professor Munisa Bushra Abidi, Maulana Rashid Ahmad Nadwi, Hafiz Iqbal Chunawala, Maulana Abbas Khan, Maulana Ghufran Sajid Qasmi, Humayun Sheikh, and other dignitaries.
