Karnataka: A delegation of All India Muslim Personal Law Board office bearers met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence Cauvery in Bengaluru on Saturday and sought Karnataka government’s support to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill proposed by the Centre. AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi appealed to the CM saying the board wants his support to oppose the bill and persuade the Centre not to pass it in Parliament. “The government is presenting these issues in a very innocent manner, as if it is beneficial for the community. The Muslim community generally knows and understands that this is the game of the Central government. Prima facie, the proposed amendments are arbitrary and violate Articles 25, 26, 29 and 14 of the Indian Constitution,” he said. He said, “Anyway, even if it does not violate the Constitution, such laws may appear simple on paper, but their use in the hands of hostile establishments against certain targeted communities becomes a source of discontent among the general public, and in the present case, it will become the basis of discontent among the Muslim community at large.” He said, “The regulation of wakf can only be minimal. The scheme of regulatory laws cannot be of such a nature as to give the entire or original control of the said wakf properties in the hands of the Government or persons nominated by the Government, who are outside the community which has given the property in wakf.” He said, “The concept of wakf emanates from the Islamic religion and it is the result of religious charity. While creating a wakf, a person dedicates his movable or immovable property in the name of God and the benefit of such dedicated properties is used for the stated purpose.”
