Muslim religious and community leaders of Telangana have unanimously resolved not only to oppose but reject the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill presently under scrutiny by the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Representatives of eminent religious and social organizations, legal experts, leading clerics, journalists, and other distinguished individuals united in opposing the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill during a meeting convened by Advisor to the Telangana Government Mohammed Ali Shabbir at the Telangana Secretariat on Monday.
The meeting, which lasted over two hours, discussed various contentious clauses in the Waqf Bill and their impact on the institution of Waqf. The participants expressed the opinion that the proposal was not just an amendment but an attempt to completely replace the existing law.
They described it as a conspiracy to end Waqf institutions across the country by interfering with the control, administration, and management of Waqf properties. The Muslim leaders expressed fears that the proposed amendment, if enacted, would lead to the destruction of Waqf properties.
Addressing the meeting, Shabbir Ali thanked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for effectively leading the opposition in forcing the BJP-led government to refer the Bill to the JPC. He said Rahul Gandhi acted promptly by convening a meeting of all MPs belonging to the INDIA bloc before the Bill was presented in the Lok Sabha on August 8.
Consequently, the BJP-led government was forced to accept the demand for the JPC. He noted that when the opposition was weak, the BJP never bowed down to form a JPC on issues like Rafale, Triple Talaq, or Hindenburg.
