Right-wing organisations demand abolition of Waqf Board

New Delhi: Various right-wing organisations held a mahapanchayat here on Sunday and extended partial support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, demanding a “complete abolition” of the Waqf Board.

They also sent a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding “nationalisation” of the properties under the Waqf Board, according to a statement issued by the Jansankhya Samadhan Foundation.

The event, which was held following a call given by the Jansankhya Samadhan Foundation, was organised by various right-wing groups, including the Rashtriya Hindu Front.

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“In the mahapanchayat, workers of various organisations from across the country and common people unanimously demanded the abolition of the Waqf Board. A memorandum to this effect was also submitted to the prime minister, home minister and president of India,” the statement said.

Addressing the mahapanchayat, Jansankhya Samadhan Foundation president Anil Chaudhary said the properties of the Muslims who went to Pakistan after the partition were given to the minority community members here in 1954 by the then government of India.

“Due to amendments in the (Waqf) law in 1955, 1995 and 2013, the Waqf Board got unlimited rights to claim the properties. As a result, there has been a flood of illegal occupation of the lands of the followers of other religions by the Waqf Board across the country,” the statement quoted Chaudhary as saying.

It said the mahapanchayat found the Waqf Act “discriminatory” and noted that it “grossly violates” the right to equality guaranteed under the Constitution.

“Therefore, the mahapanchayat decided unanimously that the Waqf Board must be abolished and all its properties be acquired by the government of India,” it said.

As far as the management of the “so-called” historical properties of Muslims is concerned, a government institution like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is available for the protection and management of such properties of any community, Chaudhary said.

“The Indian Society Act and the Indian Trust Act are already in force in India for social service activities like education, health etc., through which money and property can be donated,” he added.

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