As the Centre is reportedly preparing to amend the Waqf Act to address concerns about the Waqf Board’s extensive powers, there are calls for the Act to be abolished entirely. Some social media users have alleged that the Waqf Board has misused its authority to seize land across India.
“The Waqf Act should not merely be amended but abolished. The Waqf Board has abused its power to seize lands across India. For instance, the Waqf Board has claimed ownership of the entire Thiruchendurai village in Tamil Nadu, which houses the 1500-year-old Manendiyavalli Sametha Chandrasekhara Swamy Temple,” stated Anshul Saxena, a social media user.
Waqf Act should not be amended, but abolished. Waqf Board has misused its power to occupy lands across India.
Example – Wakf Board claimed ownership of entire Thiruchendurai village in Tamil Nadu
This village has 1500-year-old Manendiyavalli Sametha Chandrasekhara Swamy Temple. pic.twitter.com/iQUmdiNkjG
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) August 4, 2024
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, General Secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, denounced the Waqf Board as deeply corrupt. He alleged that a mafia within the Board is heavily involved in its land affairs.”They delete the Waqf number and create fake documents to sell Waqf’s land. Waqf is facing huge losses due to this,” Abbas said.
According to the reports, the Centre is likely to bring 40 amendments to the Act in the next Parliament sitting.
On the other hand, supporting the amendments, Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam, All India Imam Organisation said that it is the need of the hour to do amendment and there should be no politics over it.
“The amendment is a part of the process that keeps on happening from time to time. Amendments have been made in the Waqf Act earlier also. It should be taken care of that the dignity of Waqf should not be harmed. It is the need of the hour to do amendment and there should be no politics over it. There should be a discussion on it. What did Asaduddin Owaisi or other opposition leaders say when amendments were made during the previous governments? The opposition should not protest against everything. There should be a discussion on it rather than politics,” he said.
@narendramodi ji, amendment se kuch nahi hoga, abolish Waqf board. South India is already getting destroyed #Modi 3.0
— Anupam Mazumdar (@anupam_phy) August 4, 2024
Anupam Mazumdar, another social media user, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abolish the Waqf Board. He said amendments to the act won’t make any difference. “South India is already getting destroyed #Modi 3.0,” he said.
