Kiren Rijiju criticises Congress, says Waqf bill meant for welfare of poor Muslims

Srinagar, Feb 15: Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju today said that the Waqf amendment bill is meant for the welfare of poor Muslims and that the Congress and other opposition parties are making it an issue only to defame the government.

Speaking with the media in Srinagar today,  Rijiju said, “In the world, India has the largest Waqf property. And the Waqf amendment bill is intended for the welfare of poor Muslims.”

To a question whether Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was supporting the government on the bill, Rijiju said that it was only Congress and other opposition parties which are opposing it to defame the government. He said that the law was meant for the welfare of poor Muslims and was not anti-Muslim at all.

Earlier on August 8, 2024, two bills, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha with the government saying that it was aimed to streamline the work of Waqf Boards and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties.

“The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. 

“The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. 

“It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records,” the government said.

“The primary objective of the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 is to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, a colonial-era legislation that has become outdated and inadequate for managing waqf properties in modern India. The repeal aims to ensure uniformity, transparency, and accountability in the administration and management of waqf properties under the Waqf Act, 1995, thus eliminating inconsistencies and ambiguities caused by the continued existence of this redundant law,” it added.

However the Opposition parties and Muslim groups were of the view that the changes in the Waqf law were meant to raise disputes and divest the Muslims from the Waqf property.