Waqf Board Amendment Bill: BJP Leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Advocates for Waqf System Reforms Amid Opposition from AIMPLB

Amidst speculation about the central government’s plans to reform the Waqf system, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi voiced his support for the proposed changes on Monday, emphasizing the need to eliminate the “touch me not thinking” surrounding the Waqf system.

“It’s needed to take out the Waqf system from the ‘touch me not’ thinking. Neither it’s good for the country nor for the community to impose a communal mentality over inclusive reform. It’s good for both – Waqf and ‘waqt’, to find a logical solution to a long pending problem… I don’t know what the actual proposal is from the government but I believe that it’s needed,” Naqvi stated.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Centre is preparing to amend the Waqf Act to enhance accountability and transparency within Waqf boards, including a mandatory inclusion of women. The proposed amendment bill reportedly aims to compel Waqf boards to disclose the actual valuations of their properties and register them with district collectors.

In response, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a leading Muslim body in India, declared on Sunday that it would not tolerate any interference with the legal status and powers of the Waqf boards. The AIMPLB urged allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition to reject any potential amendments in Parliament.

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AIMPLB spokesperson S.Q.R. Ilyas called on all Muslim organizations to unite against what he described as a “malicious act of the government.”

“The All India Muslim Personal Law Board deems it necessary to make it clear that any change in the Wakf Act, 2013 which alters the nature of Waqf properties or makes it easier for the government or any individual to usurp the same will not be acceptable,” Ilyas asserted.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari emphasized that any bill regarding this matter should be presented to the opposition and NDA allies JDU and TDP before being tabled in Parliament.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed skepticism, noting that no Cabinet minister has confirmed the tabling of such a bill. “We know the BJP has a habit of derailing, they have come up with this new gimmick to divert attention from serious issues in the country,” Chaturvedi added.