Hyderabad: The BJP, as part of the ‘Hindutva agenda’ of the RSS, has been opposed to Wakf Board and Wakf properties since their beginning. They have always tried to end the board and their properties, decried AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. He was speaking ahead of the Centre’s plans to introduce a bill in the Parliament that is aimed at curbing the powers of Wakf Board.Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Owaisi took exception to the fact that such reports were coming to the media first and not Parliament, whose session is currently on. In doing so, the Centre is going against parliament’s supremacy, he said. Referring to media reports about the proposed amendments, establishment and composition of the Wakf Board Act, Owaisi said that the Union government wants to take away the autonomy of the board, which is detrimental to freedom of religion. “When any land becomes Wakf property, it should always remain Wakf land. The state’s survey commissioner first fixes Wakf lands and then the state gives a Gazette notification. If it remains unchallenged for a year, it becomes Wakf property”, he explained and said that the government wants to make changes to this. It may be noted the Centre is contemplating to bring a bill by making around 40 amendments to Wakf Act amid reports of massive increase in Wakf lands. Incidentally, Wakf boards are the third largest owners of land after the armed forces and railways and their share of land has doubled since 2009. Asaduddin said that Wakf tribunals, which deal with encroachments, will lose their identity once the amendments are introduced. There are many dargahs in the country that the BJP-RSS combine claims are not dargahs and mosques. The executive wants to take powers of the judiciary, he added. It may be noted that the Central government decided to make amendments after it got notices from the Delhi High Court last year about 123 properties in the national capital that are being unlawfully claimed as Wakf properties.
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