New Delhi:
A group of petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Bill – passed by Parliament last week – will be heard by the Supreme Court on 16 April. However, the government filed a warning in the apex court, stating that no order should be passed without hearing its perspective.
So far, 15 petitions have been filed on the controversial bill, in which the opposition and classes of the Muslim community expressed many objections.
Most of these were expressed during the marathon 12-plus hour debate on the bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and Thursday last week. The bill has been signed and applicable since then.
The amended law includes the compulsory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf boards in the controversial provisions.
It is also a stipend that people who practice Islam can only donate assets to Waqf for at least five years.
In addition, under the proposed law, the government property, identified as WAQF, will join it and the local collector will determine its ownership.
The government has repeatedly underlined that law is about property and its management, not religion. The Waqf Bill was declared by the BJP, developed after consulting a large part of the people and has received the support of non-Muslim minorities.
This, this emphasis has been laid, as the Largescale irregularities are not allowed to benefit Waqf property to women and children, which would be the revised law.
It is alleged that the Congress has taken huge land and properties by Waqf aided by the politics of appeasement.
