‘Discriminatory, communally motivated’: AIMPLB to challenge Waqf Amendment Bill in court, launch nationwide fight

Former MP and AIMPLB member Mohammad Adeeb called it a “political Bill”, adding that it was an attempt to seize properties of the Muslim community including dargahs, mosques and graveyards. He said it was the “worst day for Muslims” as the Bill was tabled in Parliament.

Stating that there was opposition to the Bill during the deliberations of the Joint Committee of the Parliament set up to review it, Adeeb said, “It should not be assumed that we have lost the battle. We have just begun. This is a fight to save the country because the proposed law endangers the very fabric of India.”

He urged all conscientious citizens to resist the Bill and reaffirmed the AIMPLB’s commitment to oppose it both legally and through public demonstrations. “We will go to court. We will not rest until this (proposed) law is withdrawn,” he added.

AIMPLB spokesperson S Q R Ilyas said, “We will organise programmes across the country, just like farmers did and forced the government to withdraw the farm laws. If needed, we will block roads and take all peaceful measures to oppose the Bill.”

In a press statement issued after the press conference, the AIMPLB urged all secular and non-communal parties, as well as “conscientious” MPs, to reject the “divisive” Bill and uphold the constitutional principles of equality, justice and religious freedom.

It also called on MPs not to stage a walkout but to engage in debate and press for a vote in both houses of Parliament, thereby compelling NDA allies and fence-sitters to take a stand against the legislation.

The AIMPLB called on citizens across the country to hit the streets and hold peaceful and democratic protests if the Bill is passed, vowing to continue demonstrations until it is withdrawn.

Earlier, its general secretary also said that the Amendment Bill has been brought in with a plan. “Over 5 crore emails were sent against the Bill. None of the objections were considered,” he said, and added that the bill has become more objectionable after scrutiny by the JPC.

“Management of Waqf has been taken from Muslims and has been handed over to the government…through the provisions of the new Bill, entire management of Waqf has been changed,” he said, adding that the amendments approved by the JPC have made the matter more complicated.

“We believe that the JPC was just a deception. This Bill has been brought to sideline Muslims economically and religiously,” he added.

Ilyas said the Bill was discriminatory, communally motivated and an attempt to deprive Muslims of their constitutional rights. “This Bill is as per the communal agenda of the BJP and it was handed over to the JPC to address the objections raised by it in Parliament. The JPC worked on it for nearly six months. We sent nearly 5 crore emails and rejected the Bill. We staged a dharna in Delhi, Patna and Vijayawada,” he said.

“We met Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief), Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM and JDU supremo) and various members of the JPC and told them about our objections. We were hopeful that the JPC will address those issues. Unfortunately, the opinions of Opposition members in the JPC were not accepted. Now the Bill has become more stringent,” Ilyas added.

“If this Bill is passed, we believe that good faith will prevail and at least allies will not cooperate with the BJP’s communal agenda if they want to secure their secular positions,” Ilyas said.

Adeeb also said that the AIMPLB members had met all those leaders (BJP allies), “but later we realised that they are traders who think about their own interests only. They have proved that they are no more leaders but traders.”