New Delhi/ Hyderabad, 29 April (H.S.): Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis E Ittehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and MP, has called for a nationwide 15-minute lights-out protest on April 30, from 9:00 pm to 9:15 pm, against the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill. He urged the public to support the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in this demonstration, asserting that the bill threatens Muslim control over waqf properties, including mosques, dargahs, and charitable institutions. The Waqf Amendment Bill, approved by Parliament and signed into law on April 6, has sparked significant backlash from the Muslim community, which believes it infringes on their rights.

Waqf properties are lands donated in the name of God for charitable purposes, and according to established tradition, this land cannot be sold or transferred. However, the new amendment enables conversion of waqf land into private or government property, raising concerns of constitutional violations.

This legislation contradicts earlier Supreme Court rulings, which state that once land is designated as waqf, it remains so perpetually. Furthermore, the amendment alters the governance structure of waqf institutions by allowing two non-Muslims to sit on various Waqf boards and tribunals and removes the requirement for the Waqf Board CEO to be Muslim. This deviation in governance is juxtaposed against recent actions by other religious institutions that prioritize their religious adherents in management. The AIMPLB has previously protested against this bill, emphasizing the importance of waqf properties in supporting community religious and charitable activities, which the new law threatens.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar