Can't accept any amendment to reduce or limit powers of waqf boards: Jamiat

New Delhi: With the government likely to table in Parliament a bill to amend the Wakf Act, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Monday asserted that bringing about any change in the status and nature of waqf properties or making it easier for the government or any individual to "misuse" them is unacceptable.

The prominent Muslim body also stressed that it is prepared to knock the doors of the Supreme Court if a move is made to weaken the waqf boards.

Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani urged the non-BJP political parties, that are part of the government and call themselves secular, to oppose and not allow any such bill to be passed in Parliament.

He said there is an apprehension that the central government wants to change the status and nature of the Muslim waqf properties so that it becomes easy to destroy the status of the 'Muslim waqf' by seizing them.

The Jamiat wants to make it clear that the Waqf properties are the donations by Muslim elders which are dedicated for religious and Muslim charitable works, and the government has just made a Wakf Act to regulate them, Madani said in a statement.

Any change in the Wakf Act which alters the status and nature of the Waqf properties or makes it easier for the government or any individual to "misuse" them is unacceptable, he said.

"Similarly, we cannot accept any amendment to reduce or limit the powers of the waqf boards," Madani asserted.

He alleged that ever since this government has come to power, it has been introducing new laws to "keep Muslims in chaos and fear with various tricks", and has "clearly interfered in our religious affairs".

"The government knows very well that a Muslim can bear any loss but cannot tolerate any interference in their Shariah," Madani said.

He claimed that such moves are a "deliberate interference" in the constitutional powers given to Muslims.

The Constitution has given every citizen freedom of religion as well as full authority to practice their religious rituals, Madani said.

He alleged that the current government wants to take away this religious freedom given to Muslims by the Constitution.

Madani further said properties under waqf cannot be used against the intention of the 'waqif (donor)'.

"The intention of the government is bad. It wants to interfere in our religious issues and usurp properties of Muslims," he alleged.

"As it has interfered in the past, be it the UCC issue or the Talaq issue or the maintenance of divorced Muslim women... we cannot accept any amendment in the waqf law which would change the status and purpose of the waqf (endowment)," he said.

Madani alleged that the government is trying to interfere in the religious issue of Muslims by proposing to amend the said law.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind wants to make it clear that any change in the Wakf Act which changes or weakens the status or nature of waqf properties is not acceptable at all, he asserted.

Jamiat has taken effective measures to ensure the safety of waqf properties in every era, Madani said.

"We pledge that the Muslims of India will be against any scheme of the government which does not guarantee the security of the waqf properties, and which is used contrary to the intention of the waqif (donor)," he said.

If necessary, they have prepared themselves to knock on the door of the Supreme Court, Madani said, adding that Jamiat cannot remain silent on the the issue.

The government is all set to bring a bill in Parliament to amend the 1995 law governing the waqf boards to ensure more accountability and transparency in their functioning and mandatory inclusion of women in these bodies, sources said on Sunday.

There are 30 waqf boards in the country and the bill to amend the Wakf Act, 1995, if it is introduced and passed, will make it mandatory for the waqf boards to register their properties with the district collectors to ensure their actual valuation.

The sources on Sunday pointed out that the revenue generated by all waqf properties is estimated at Rs 200 crore per annum. This is not in sync with the number of properties such bodies have, they said.