Muslim scholars, religious leaders meet Minority Affairs Minister Rijiju; back Waqf Bill

A day after the second meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, a delegation comprising Muslim scholars and religious leaders on Saturday met Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal to extend their support to the proposals made in the Bill. 

The delegation, comprising Muslim intellectuals, scholars and religious leaders, was led by Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, the Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council and successor to the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah.

The discussions centered around issues related to Muslims and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

They first met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the latter's residence here and discussed the Waqf Bill presented recently in the Lok Sabha.

After meeting the Minority Affairs Minister, the delegation called on Jagdambika Pal at his residence.

Jagdambika Pal, a senior BJP leader, is the chairman of the JPC constituted to discuss the proposed amendments in the Waqf Bill.

The JPC comprises 31 MPs  -- 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

During the deliberations with both Kiren Rijiju and Jagdambika Pal, the delegation led by Chisti submitted that the Waqf Board had been creating problems for Muslims across the country.

Reposing its "complete faith" in the JPC, the delegation exuded confidence that the committee will give an ear to the problems mosques across the country have been facing due to the Waqf Board and welcome the necessary suggestions.

Backing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, the delegation emphasised better management, transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Waqf Board. It also said that this would ensure an end to corrupt practices and land grabbing while making the Waqf Board beneficial for the underprivileged Muslims.

The delegation also demanded the setting up of a separate 'Dargah Board' for better management of matters related to mosques while urging the government to intervene in the "excesses" of the Waqf Board.

A proposal to establish Help Desks in places of worship for Muslims to disseminate information on the government's schemes for the minorities was also submitted by the delegation.

On Friday, the JPC held its second round of meeting, which was also attended by some Muslim bodies who opposed the amendments proposed in the Waqf Bill.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), one of the members of the JPC, was involved in a heated exchange of words with a BJP MP during the debate on the Bill, and was among the MPs from the opposition camp to stage a walkout from the meeting at one point.

During the meeting, the All India Sunni Jamiat-e-Ulama opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill while submitting that the government should not interfere in the subject of Waqf which pertains to Muslims.

The Indian Muslim for Civil Rights, headed by former MP Mohammad Adeeb, described the Bill as "illegal".

The first JPC meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill was held on August 22.