AIMIM chief Owaisi bats for early hearing on finality of Waqf Amendment Act

Hyderabad, Sep 15 (IANS) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi, on Monday, hoped that the Supreme Court will quickly decide on the finality of Waqf Amendment Act, 2025.

Reacting to the interim order of the Supreme Court, the Hyderabad MP said the apex court has not completely stayed certain provisions of the Waqf Act.

Reiterating his allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not want to see Waqf property in the country, he said the Supreme Court should take immediate steps to start a hearing to decide on the finality of the Act.

“This is just an interim order. We would like the Supreme Court to start hearing to deliver its final order on the Act. This Act will not protect Waqf property. It will reward encroachers. There will be no development of Waqf property,” Owaisi told media persons here.

THE AIMIM Chief voiced the apprehension that even after the interim order of the Supreme Court, the BJP would do its utmost best to weaken the Waqf structure in the country.

“Their (BJP’s) idea is that there should be no Waqf property in India. The whole India has heard them asking why should there be Waqf in India as it is an alien concept,” he said.

On Supreme Court’s direction that as far as possible a Muslim should be appointed the CEO of the Waqf Board, the Hyderabad MP added that the Union government will claim that they did not find a capable Muslim officer.

“A party that does not give an MP ticket to a Muslim, and does not have a Muslim MP, will it choose a Muslim officer?” he asked.

Owaisi said that appointment of non-Muslims as members of the Waqf Board would be a violation of Article 26.

He asked if a non-Sikh can be appointed as members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or a non-Hindu as members of Hindu Endowment bodies.

He also voiced the apprehension that there will be no elections for state Waqf Boards under various categories like MPs, MLAs and custodians and BJP will appoint its own party men.

Owaisi also noted that the Supreme Court has not completely stayed the provision that a person has to be a practising Muslim of five years to create a Waqf.

“The Supreme Court said it can’t be enforced unless rules are framed for providing a mechanism for determining whether a person has been practising Islam for at least five years or not. Tomorrow they will frame the rules,” he said.

He challenged the BJP governments to reveal data of who donated Waqf property after conversion.

“There is no law preventing a person of any religion from donating to another religion. According to Article 300 of the Constitution, I can give my property to anyone I want. Then why is such a provision being made for the followers of one religion,” he asked.

Owaisi said the Supreme Court has also not completely stayed the provision of survey of Waqf properties by District Collectors.

He added that earlier the survey was done by Survey Commissioner, who is independent and higher in hierarchy than Collector.

The MP pointed out that only seven states have conducted survey of Waqf properties.

He said the encroachers of Waqf properties would be declared owners by applying the Limitation Act.

The Supreme Court refused to stay Section 3D of the Waqf Amendment Act, under which any declaration of protected monument of protected areas as Waqf will be void.

Owaisi said this provision would make the Archaeological Survey of India the owner of protected monuments, which are the Waqf property.

The MP said that evacuee properties, which are Waqf properties, would also become government properties.

He added that Western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana have a large number of such properties.

The Hyderabad MP, who is one of the petitioners who challenged the Constitutional validity of the Waqf Amendment Act, said when the Supreme Court begins hearing for final order, they would place all the arguments before the bench.

–IANS

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