Last Updated on 09/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
The central government presented the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. As soon as this bill was presented in the House, the country’s biggest, richest and most powerful Muslim institution, the Waqf Board, is once again in the news, due to which the opposition started accusing the BJP that the Waqf Amendment Bill has been brought to take revenge for the reduction in seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The entire political controversy has spread due to the introduction of the bill that changes the time of the Waqf Board.
First of all, let’s talk about Waqf property. Delhi is spread over a total area of 3.6 lakh acres and the Waqf Board is said to have more than 9 lakh acres of land in the country. That means the Waqf Board alone has land equal to three Delhis. A state like Goa is spread over 9.14 lakh acres, that means the Waqf has as much land in the country as Goa. If we further divide the Waqf land in India according to the land, then the Waqf Board alone has as much land as Delhi, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep have together.
After the railways and the army, the Wakf Board has the most land
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After the railways and the army, the Waqf Board has the most land in the country. This land and billions of rupees of Waqf property and the income from this property is and should be used for educational institutions, graveyards, mosques, charitable causes and orphanages, but there have been allegations that land mafias, politicians and property builders play big games in the name of Waqf property, which does not benefit the common Muslim and the poor Muslim. Because the Waqf Board has already been given so many unlimited rights under the guise of political appeasement, which is not even available in other Muslim countries. That is why the government says that the bill to amend the Waqf Act has been brought in the interest of the public.
What are the provisions in the new bill?
If we compare the provisions of the law till now and the new bill, earlier if the Waqf Board claimed any land, the owner of the land could go to the Waqf Tribunal only for justice. Whereas according to the new bill, he will have the right to appeal in Revenue Court, Civil Court, High Court apart from the Tribunal. Till now, in a dispute between the Waqf Board and others, the decision of the Waqf Tribunal was considered final, whereas in the new bill, there will be a right to go to the High Court against the decision of the Tribunal.
These rights are mentioned in the bill
Till now, if there is an old mosque or land/property that has been used for Islamic purposes, then that land property was automatically considered as Waqf, but the new bill says that only when someone donates his land property, it will be considered as Waqf. Even if there is a mosque on it. The most important thing is that till now there was a ban on the entry of women and people of other religions in the Waqf Board, whereas now the new bill says that there will be 2 women and 2 people of other religions in the Waqf Board.
Kiren Rijiju said – we are not going to run away
When there was a lot of debate on this bill, Kiren Rijiju said that we propose that this bill be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. On this, the Speaker said that yes, I will form a committee soon. At the same time, Asaduddin Owaisi demanded a division on this. The Speaker said how is a division made on this. Owaisi said that we have been demanding division from the beginning. Kiren Rijiju said that we are not going to run away. While presenting the bill, he said that pass this bill from here. After this, whatever scrutiny is to be done in it, we are ready. Make this bill and send it to JPC. Members of every party should be in that committee, whatever scrutiny they want to do, we are ready.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)