New Delhi:
A group of petitions challenging the revised WAQF law – this means how Muslim charitable properties are managed – will be heard by the Supreme Court today. Six BJP ruled states intended to defend the law, demanding to join it.
This story has top 10 points:
- The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this month after a marathon debate in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Now, India’s Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar and three judges of KV Vishwavathan will hear it at 2 pm on the challenges.
- Earlier, the Supreme Court clarified that it would not do trespass in the legislature’s domain. But as a final arbiter on issues related to the Constitution, it has agreed to listen to the petitioners, who emphasize that the amended law stops on many fundamental rights, including the right to equality and the right to pursue religious practices.
- Congress leaders, Janata Dal United, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK and CPI are among those challenging the law; Religious organizations and NGOs such as Zameet Ulema Hind and All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
- BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand-who are supporting the law-have filed applications demanding to listen.
- Some petitions have demanded that the law be canceled, it should be called unconstitutional. Others want the court to stop its implementation. It has also been called arbitrary and discriminatory against Muslims.
- In his petition, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the update law ends the security given to Waqf. It is discriminated against to reduce the conservation given to Waqf properties while maintaining it for other religious, they have claimed.
- Amanatullah Khan of AAP, in his petition, has argued that the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the WAQF boards is a violation of Article 14, and its religious property has no rational relations with the purpose of administration.
- The government has said that the bill is about property and its management, not religion. Largescale in the management of WAQF properties is irregularities and their income does not help Muslims or women and children, who will fix the revised law, it is said.
- In addition, the bill was designed after consulting a large part of people and has the support of non-Muslim minorities. It investigated a joint parliamentary committee and included several amendments suggested by the members, protesting the government.
- Protests against the revised law have been staged and before that, bills in parts of the country. The worst of these happened in Bengal, where three people were killed and many became homeless as protests provoked violence. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that her government will not implement the revised WAQF law.
