In the JPC meeting, there is a dispute with the Waqf Board on 132 properties in the country- ASI officer, calling it wrong, said AAP MP- only in Delhi…
There was a lot of uproar in the fourth meeting of the JPC formed to consider the Waqf (Amendment) Act. In the meeting, while the representatives of Muslim organizations strongly opposed the bill by questioning its need and its provisions, the opposition MPs called the presentation given by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the meeting wrong and created a ruckus. In Friday’s meeting too, there was a fierce debate between the ruling party and opposition MPs.
Opposition MPs Sanjay Singh and Asaduddin Owaisi had several heated arguments with BJP MPs. In the fourth meeting of the JPC held in the Parliament House complex on Friday, officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which comes under the Union Ministry of Culture, presented a presentation. However, the MPs of the opposition parties created a ruckus in the meeting by calling the data presented by them wrong. The MPs of the opposition parties accused the ASI officials of misleading the JPC and also warned that a privilege case will be made against them for doing so.
‘Dispute over 132 properties across the country, but…’
According to sources, ASI officials told the meeting that they have a dispute with the Waqf Board over 132 properties across the country, but AAP MP Sanjay Singh immediately called this figure wrong and said that you are giving the figure of 132 for the whole country, whereas in Delhi alone ASI has occupied 172 Waqf properties.
Telangana Waqf Board opposed the bill
There was a heated argument between the ruling party and opposition MPs on the issue. The officials also placed a list of 53 monuments, which are very important and popular from the tourism point of view, in front of the committee, on which there is a dispute with various Waqf Boards. The department also told that many of these monuments were declared Waqf properties long ago. According to sources, in the JPC meeting held on Friday, representatives of Zakat Foundation of India and Telangana Waqf Board also presented their views in detail and strongly opposed the bill.
Questions raised on the intention of the government
Muslim organizations called the provisions like inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf Board, giving more powers to the Collector, removal of Waqf by user, mandatory condition of being a practicing Muslim for 5 years to donate property to Waqf completely wrong and also questioned the need for the bill and the intention of the government. Meanwhile, Asaduddin Owaisi reacted sharply when a BJP MP said that the Waqf Board is a non-Islamic institution because it is not mentioned in the Quran. There was a heated argument between the two on this.
