The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday announced its intention to challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court, denouncing it as a “black law” that endangers the rights of the Muslim community.
The legislation is being debated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. If passed in the Lower House, it will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha for further deliberation.
Addressing a press conference, AIMPLB member Md Adeeb lambasted the Bill, alleging that it was designed to seize properties belonging to the Muslim community.
“They have started this spectacle thinking they can take away our property. Can this be accepted? Do not think that we are defeated,” Adeeb declared, asserting that the fight against the Bill was only beginning.
Adeeb emphasised that opposition to the Bill had been expressed during discussions in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which was constituted to review the proposed amendments.
“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 said.
Urging citizens to resist the Bill, Adeeb reiterated the AIMPLB’s resolve to contest the legislation through legal means and public demonstrations. “We will go to court. We will not rest until this law is withdrawn,” he affirmed.
AIMPLB spokesperson Mohammad Ali Mohsin echoed these sentiments, stating, “We have started this fight because we want to save the country. Our aim is to put an end to this black law.”
The board also hinted at a nationwide protest movement, drawing comparisons to the farmers’ agitation.
“We will organise programmes across the country just like the farmers did. If needed, we will block roads and take all peaceful measures to oppose the Bill,” Mohsin said.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the 1995 Act governing Waqf properties in India. According to the Centre, the proposed changes are intended to improve the management of Waqf properties.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August last year before being referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which submitted its report in February this year.
Among the contentious amendments is the provision allowing non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf boards.
Additionally, any government property identified as Waqf will cease to be classified as such, with the district collector assigned the authority to determine ownership.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have opposed the Bill, arguing that the committee reviewing it failed to consider suggestions from opposition MPs.
They further accused the government of hastily pushing through the legislation without adequate consultation.
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