“The Waqf Bill (Amendment) violates religious freedom”

The Telangana Waqf Board rejected the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill in a special meeting in Hyderabad. The meeting was convened by Waqf Board Chairman Azmatullah Hussaini and attended by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, among others.

“The Telangana Waqf Board is convinced of the harmful and destructive impact of the provisions of the Act and unanimously decides to reject the proposed amendments,” the board said in a statement.

“It is obvious to the Board that the Bill has been drafted with a specific intention and aims to destroy the autonomy of the Waqf Board and the institution of Waqf itself by placing the Waqfs under the complete control of Collectors who can claim and designate any Waqf property as state property and issue instructions to the Mutawalli (administrators), compliance with which is binding on the Mutawalli,” the resolution said.

“The bill destroys the structure of the Waqf Council and the Waqf Board by nominating them, essentially introducing two non-Muslim members and leaving the possibility that the Council and the Board will eventually be dominated by non-Muslims,” ​​the two-page resolution said.

The Telangana Waqf Board also accuses the bill of perpetuating discrimination between communities as several provisions are in direct contradiction to the provisions of the Hindu Endowment Act.

The Assembly was of the view that the Bill was in direct violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 25 and 300-A of the Indian Constitution as it interferes with freedom of religion and right to property by prohibiting a Muslim from disposing of his own property unless he has been certified as a practicing Muslim for five years.