Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has condemned the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 as ‘oppressive and unconstitutional,’ calling for public opposition. He mentioned that the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has provided a QR code that allows the public to submit objections via email.
In a statement issued, Asaduddin Owaisi urged citizens to act before Friday, September 13 and mentioned that QR codes for submitting objections would be available in mosques. Local MLAs will join worshippers for Friday prayers to support this initiative.
“I urge all my brothers, sisters, and young friends to raise your voice and register your Protest using the QR code. We have just 2 days left. Let’s come together to protect our Waqf properties!” said Owaisi.
Asaduddin Owaisi further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of enacting legislation aimed at seizing waqf properties, including mosques, khanqahs, graveyards, and agricultural lands. He stressed the urgency of the situation and called for a large volume of objections to be registered before the deadline.
Earlier this month, the Telangana Waqf Board became the first across India to reject the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill 2024. A meeting of the state Waqf Board, presided by chairman Syed Azmatullah Husseni and attended by seven members including Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, resolved to reject the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act.
Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Telangana State Waqf Board became the first in the country to oppose the “unconstitutional” Waqf Amendment Bill. He thanked chief minister A Revanth Reddy for his support in opposing the Bill.
The board rejected the bill as a retrograde measure aimed at targeting the Muslim community and Waqf institutions, condemning the divisive agenda promoted through the controversial Bill.
What is the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024?
Under the Bill, Waqf properties must be registered with the district collector’s office for evaluation. It specifies that any property identified or declared as Waqf property by the government, before or after the Act’s commencement, will not be considered waqf property. The district collector will have the final authority to determine whether a property is waqf or government land. Once decided, the collector will update the revenue records and report to the state government. The property will not be recognized as Waqf until the collector’s report is submitted.
Furthermore, disputes with Waqf board decisions can now be appealed to high courts. The Bill also proposes removing provisions that currently allow properties to be considered Waqf based on oral declarations or disputes, which were previously acceptable under Islamic law until formal documentation (waqfnama) was established. Without a valid waqfnama, a property will be deemed suspect or disputed and cannot be used until the district collector makes a final decision.
‘Retrograde’: Telangana Waqf Board opposes Waqf Amendment Bill
What is Waqf property?
A Waqf property is a moveable or immovable asset dedicated to God for charitable purposes through a deed or instrument. This practice predates formal documentation, so properties used for a long time can also be recognised as Waqf properties.
Waqf properties can serve either public charitable purposes or be held privately to benefit an individual’s descendants. They are non-transferable and held perpetually in the name of God. The income from Waqf properties typically supports educational institutions, graveyards, mosques, and shelter homes, benefiting many Muslims.