’Waqf Bill doesn’t take away but give rights’: Kiren Rijiju defends bill, flags key problems with Waqf Board

Union minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Waqf Board Amendment Bill, 2024, in Parliament on Thursday after the Opposition called it "unconstitutional" and an attack on religious freedom. Rijiju, in almost an hour-long speech, said, “With this bill, there is no interference in the freedom of any religious body....Forget about taking anyone’s rights, this bill has been brought to give rights to those who never got them....”

Rijiju said the state waqf boards and central council will have women members under the new new Bill. Rijiju, the minority affairs minister, introduced the Waqf (Revision) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, August 8. Rijiju said this bill has been now titled - ‘United Waqf Act Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act', 1995- ‘UMEED’.

Here's what Rijiju said in Parliament today:

1. ‘No interference’

“Whatever provision is there in this bill, there is no interference in the freedom of any religious institution… nor has any article of the Constitution been violated,” Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

the Minority Affairs Minister added, “In 2013, it was added to the law that anyone can declare a Waqf. We are removing it and implementing the old definition again. Now only Muslims can declare a Waqf.”

2. Problems with Waqf board - ‘don’t link it to religion'

He further informed Parliament that under the existing rules, many children are not able to inherit property as those lands are given are declared as waqf. He cited an incidence where a village in Tamil Nadu was declared waqf property.

“Don't link this [incident] to religion…how can municipal land be declared as waqf,” he said, adding that the new bill addresses these issues.

He said the government has received online complaints over illegal encroachment and transfer of waqf land. He said, “Many MPs have told me that the mafia has taken over Waqf boards.”

“The current system of Wakf Board needs to be changed. Do not link it to religion, look at justice,” the minority affairs minister said.

Rijiju also cited a Karnataka state minority report 2012 to claim that the Karnataka Waqf board converted 29,000 acres of land to "commercial purpose" land.

He went on to say that good, knowledgeable and talented people are needed to run Waqf boards. "We must those "diversified talent pool, with administrative skill, talent and good knowledge" to the board," he said while citing recommendations by committees.

He added that there were some MPs who approved the Bill privately. "Some MPs have said that they support the bill but can't say it due to their political parties. I will not take anyone's name so that their political career is not ruined," Rijiju said.

3. Bill introduced after 'extensive consultation'

Countering Opposition's allegation that there was no consultation before introducing the Bill, Rijiju said consultations took place at “official level, political level, with state government representations and consultation happened across the nation.”

He said active consultation took place after 2015 with Waqf board chairmen, CEOs and other representatives. “We have held multi-layered country-wide consultations on this bill. All the backward Muslims and the chairman of the Waqf Boards of 19 states and UTs started the discussion. A discussion was held with common Muslims in 2023,” he said.

"At that time a meeting was held in Mumbai and suggestions were made as to what should be done to improve the State Waqf Board. In the Lucknow meeting, discussions were held with the top-level people of the UP State Waqf Board, and the views of the common people were also heard. They all said that this amendment is needed," Rijiju said.

4. ‘Law of limitations’

Rijiju said the government wants to implement the law of limitations. "Because there was no time limit, if someone said that my ancestors had offered namaaz [prayer] here, then that land was given to the Wakf Board. The law to remove the time limit was also made by this house. We are improving it," he explained.

5. 'Correcting past mistakes'

The Union Minister said that the government is trying to correct the mistakes of the past. "We bring this bill to tell the people of the country that we could do, whatever you could not ever do. Support this bill, I appeal to everyone because it will get you blessings of crores of people," he said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Kiren Rijiju also mentioned that this bill being brought on Thursday is based on the report of the Sachar committee (which called for reform) that Congress made.

"The Sachar Committee has said that priority should be given to women and children. If someone has given his will and is not given to Muslim women and children, should the government sit quietly? It is our responsibility to this House and the government that if there is any shortcoming in providing justice to poor women, then it should be made up. All the provisions have been made in this amendment. The population of the Bohra and Ahmadiya communities is less, so shouldn't their voices be heard?" he said.

(With inputs from agencies)