Jawed’s plea alleged the bill imposed “arbitrary restrictions” on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the Muslim community’s religious autonomy.The petition, filed through advocate Anas Tanwir, said the proposed law discriminated against the Muslim community by “imposing restrictions that are not present in the governance of other religious endowments”.The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it.It was passed in the Lok Sabha with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it.Lok Sabha member from Bihar’s Kishanganj Jawed, who was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the bill, has alleged in his plea that the bill “introduces restrictions on the creation of Waqfs based on the duration of one’s religious practice”.In his separate plea, Owaisi said the bill takes away from Waqfs various protection which are accorded to Waqfs and Hindus, Jain and Sikh religious and charitable endowments alike.”This diminishing of the protection given to Waqfs while retaining them for religious and charitable endowments of other religions constitutes hostile discrimination against Muslims and is violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion,” said Owaisi’s plea, filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad.The plea argued the amendments “irreversibly dilute” the statutory protection afforded to Waqfs and their regulatory framework while giving “undue advantage” to other stakeholders and interest groups, undermining years of progress and pushing back Waqf management by several decades.In his separate plea, Amanatullah Khan has sought that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill be declared as “unconstitutional and being violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 300-A of the Constitution”.
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