What happened that Modi government wants to change the Waqf law now? Understand in simple language

Waqf Board Amendment Bill: The government is going to introduce a bill in Parliament to amend the 1995 law governing the Wakf Boards to ensure greater accountability and transparency in their functioning and to make participation of women mandatory in these bodies.

Sources claimed that the move has been taken in the backdrop of demands from within the Muslim community. The bill amending the Waqf Act, 1995 will make it mandatory for the Waqf Board to register with the District Magistrates to ensure real valuation of its properties. There are 30 Waqf Boards in the country. Sources said on Sunday that a revenue of Rs 200 crore is expected to come every year from all Waqf properties. He said that this is not in proportion to the number of properties held by the Waqf.

How much property does the Waqf Board have?

Basically, the Waqf Board has around 52,000 properties across India. As of 2009, there were 3,00,000 registered Waqf properties on four lakh acres of land and as on date, there are 8,72,292 such properties on more than eight lakh acres of land. Referring to the revenue earned from Waqf, sources underlined that this money can be used only for the welfare of the Muslim community and not for any other purpose.

Bill with more than 40 changes

An amendment bill containing more than 40 changes in the existing law may be introduced in the current Parliament session. Sources said the government does not plan to leave the bill pending after it is introduced in Parliament. The major changes proposed in the law include ensuring verification by the board before declaring any land as Waqf property.

According to the proposed bill, fresh verification of disputed land claimed by various state boards will also be done. Changes made regarding the structure of Wakf boards will ensure inclusion of women in these bodies.

Why is the amendment being made?

Sources cited the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Commission and the Joint Committee of Parliament headed by K. Rahman Khan for amending the law. A source aware of the government’s decision said, “There has been a demand for amending the law to bring transparency and accountability from within the community. Some Muslim judges of the High Court had said that the decision taken by the Wakf Board cannot be challenged in the courts. Now the amendment bill seeks to correct this.”

Reacting to the move to amend the law, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dinesh Sharma said that Bohras and other members of the Muslim community have raised the issue of anomalies in the Wakf Board. He claimed that the main reason behind this is that there have been complaints about the Wakf Board, which was formed to benefit minorities, being involved in other works.

Political reactions to the amendment

All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesperson SQR Ilyas said, “The BJP government always wanted to do this. After the 2024 (Lok Sabha) elections were over, we thought that the BJP’s attitude would change, but it did not happen. However, I think this is not the right step.” Advocate Rais Ahmed said that it is a “misconception” that the Waqf Board can claim any property. Reacting to the move to amend the law, he said that the Waqf Board was created for the benefit of Muslims.

Taking a dig at the proposed amendments, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said, “BJP has been against the Waqf Board and Waqf properties from the very beginning and has started trying to eliminate Waqf properties and the Waqf Board as part of its Hindutva agenda.”

BJP leader Ajay Alok said, “The demand for reform in the Wakf Board is not a new thing, it has been going on for the last 30-40 years. The people who are raising this demand and are affected by it are Muslims themselves. There is a need for reform in the Wakf Board and I hope that whenever this bill is introduced, Samajwadi Party, Congress and Trinamool Congress will support it.”

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