Senior AIMPLB official says WAQF bill will not benefit Muslims

Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli and other Muslim religious leaders have viewed the moon of Eid from the Eid Festival in Lucknow on March 30, 2025. Image source: PTI

The All India Muslim Private Law Commission (AIMPLB) expressed strong opposition to the WAQF (Amendment) bill, saying it is harmful rather than beneficial to Muslims.

“Aimplb and other Muslim organizations have communicated their concerns about the bill to the Joint Congress Committee (JPC) but do not consider them. Since then, protests have been held in cities including Delhi and Patner, with demonstrators symbolically wearing black bands to highlight their dissent,” he said. pti On Wednesday (2 April 2025).

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“It’s harmful to Muslims, not beneficial,” he said.

“The Muslim leaders assert that WAQF property has religious significance and can rival basic Islamic practices such as prayer, fasting and pilgrimage,” he said.

“We urge all members of parliament to consider the sentiment of the Muslim community and reject the proposed amendment,” he said.

However, some legal experts welcome the provisions in the bill.

In Varanasi, attorney Vishnu Shankar Jain said the bill weakened several “unchecked” powers that the WAQF board had previously, which was a positive step. He noted that some aspects of the bill still need debate. “There is no provision for the cancellation of any other religion or trust property, which is not government property, but declared as WAQF property. We have protested against it.”

The statements were filed in Parliament with the bill on Wednesday (2 April 2025).

Despite the establishment of JPC on this issue, no bipartisan consensus has been reached between the ruling National Democratic League and the opposition, which calls it “unconstitutional” and violates the interests of the Muslim community.