The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to initiate a dialogue with the Muslim community regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. A seven-member team formed for this purpose held its first meeting at the party headquarters on Tuesday.
Formation and Objective of the 7-Member Team
The seven-member team was constituted on August 31 and will work to reach out to the Muslim community, seeking their suggestions and clarifying any misconceptions about the bill. The team includes key BJP leaders:
- National President of BJP’s Minority Morcha: Jamal Siddiqui
- National General Secretary of the BJP (Org): BL Santosh
- In-charge of BJP Minority Morcha: Dushyant Gautam
The team is tasked with explaining why properties are given to Waqf and addressing concerns about their alleged misuse. They will emphasize the necessity for amendments to the Waqf Board.
Engagement with Waqf Board Leaders
The team will engage with Waqf Board chairmen, former chairmen, and members across the country. They will facilitate discussions with the Muslim community in their respective states through various means.
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The team comprises:
- Waqf Board Chairmen from BJP-Ruled States:
- Uttarakhand: Shadab Shams
- Madhya Pradesh: Sanawar Patel
- Haryana: Chaudhary Zakir Hussain
- Gujarat: Mohsin Lokhandwala
- Members of BJP’s National Executive:
- Maulana Habib Haider
- Nasir Hussain
- Former Chairman of the Waqf Board, Himachal Pradesh:
- Rajbali
Awareness Campaigns and Recommendations
The seven-member committee will conduct several awareness campaigns to counter confusion spread by the opposition regarding the Waqf Board. The goal is to ensure that the Muslim community understands that the Waqf Board will not act contrary to their interests.
BL Santosh has urged for extensive feedback from the community to address any concerns and misconceptions. The committee will soon meet with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman, Jagdambika Pal, to present the suggestions collected from the Muslim communities.
Legislative Process
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill introduced in Parliament during the Budget Session has been referred to the JPC by the Centre.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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