'Corrective' measures: Chiefs of two Delhi dargahs welcome Waqf Amendment Bill

Delhi's Matka Peer Dargah chief Sufi Shakeel Ahmed Qadri has termed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill "corrective" measures while Syed Javed Qutbi, the chief of Dargah Hazrat Syed Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki,  has said it will give Muslims their complete rights.

Speaking to IANS, Qadri said, "We see the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as a corrective measure. The condition of Waqf properties is pathetic, previous governments did not pay any special attention to it. Waqf properties have always been used by other people."

He said, "Our elders had given their property to serve the community, to take the community and humanity forward. But, the previous government did not use it properly. Therefore, we feel that the step being taken by the (Narendra) Modi government can be the beginning of success."

"The conflict that is seen in Islam today is not only between Shia and Sunni, but has also started between Deobandi and Barelvi. All the governments that come (to power), appoint such people the chairman of the Waqf Board, who are against the Dargah, (and) do not believe in the Dargah," he added.

Qutbi, the chief of Dargah Hazrat Syed Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, said that the amendments should have been done earlier.

These amendments will bring transparency to the system, Qutbi told IANS, adding that the biggest thing is that "some big steps have been taken in it for women, which was very necessary. Their rights will not be ignored".

He said, "There is talk of including non-Muslims in the board through the amendment; this does not bother us and should not bother others either. We have been having a dispute with the Waqf since 1972. We say that the Sufi saint has a separate system from the Dargahs and we want to continue running the Dargahs in the same way, but the Waqf has taken away this right from us."

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, speaking in favour of the bill in the Lok Sabha on August 8, said, "This bill has been brought to give rights to those who never got it."

Accusing the Opposition of misleading Muslims, the Union Minister had said, "Muslim delegations came to me last night (August 7). Many MPs told me that mafias have taken over the Waqf Boards. Some MPs said that they personally support this bill, but cannot say so because of their political parties. We have held multi-level discussions on this bill across the country."