Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leads campaign against Modi govt’s Waqf Amendment Bill
New Delhi: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, one of the leading Muslims organizations in India, has launched a robust campaign against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, voicing concerns that the proposed legislation is unconstitutional and poses a serious threat to the religious affairs of the Muslim community.
According to Kashmir Media Service, under the leadership of Maulana Arshad Madani, President of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, the organization has been actively engaging with Indian opposition leaders and members of the Parliament’s joint committee overseeing the Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8. These discussions aim to highlight the potentially adverse impacts of the proposed amendments on the Muslim community, particularly concerning the safety and ownership of Waqf properties, the Jamiat said in a statement.
Maulana Madani criticized the Bill, stating, “The new Bill is not about protecting Waqf property, but about depriving Muslims of this great heritage.” He described the proposed amendments as a blatant interference in the religious affairs of Muslims and a big conspiracy. “The present government wants to snatch away this religious freedom by making various types of laws, one of which is this Waqf (Amendment) Bill,” he said.
The Jamiat’s delegation has been active at both national and state levels. In Maharashtra, they recently met with parliamentary panel members, including Mhatre Balya Mama (NCP, Sharad Pawar faction) and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena UBT), in Mumbai. Additionally, a joint delegation from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind met with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to express their concerns. They thanked Stalin for opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill and voiced strong opposition to the ongoing discussions about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The delegation warned that the UCC Act of 2024 could be misused to undermine citizens’ fundamental constitutional rights.
The joint committee on the Bill is set to meet with representatives from the ministries of minority affairs, and law and justice on Thursday to further discuss the proposed amendments.
