All posts tagged: Waqf board

Munambam: Waqf Tribunal questions validity of Board’s claim over land

Munambam: Waqf Tribunal questions validity of Board’s claim over land

The Waqf Tribunal has questioned the validity of the Kerala Waqf Board’s claim on the Munambam land on the ground that the said land was not registered as Waqf property when the Farook College carried out its sale. In Friday’s hearing, the Tribunal chairman pointed out that there could not be any issue with the sale of the property as it was not registered as Waqf when the sale happened. It was in the 1950s that the property deeds hinting that the said land belonged to the Waqf emerged. The Waqf Act of 1954 states that if a piece of land was discovered to be Waqf property, it has to be registered within three months. Only such a registration gives the Waqf Board power to intervene in matters of the said property. However, the land in question at Munambam was not registered as Waqf property even after the Act came into effect. Instead the registration procedure began only in 2019. The Farook college had sold the property much before that. The Tribunal pointed out to …

Will Waqf Bill Be India’s New ‘Shah Bano’ Moment?

Will Waqf Bill Be India’s New ‘Shah Bano’ Moment?

Can the Waqf Bill be another turning point in Indian history, just as the Shah Bano episode proved to be in the 1980s? Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of Shah Bano, which mandated that she be granted maintenance by her husband in accordance with the civil law of the country, many Muslims viewed the judgment as an intrusion into their religious and personal affairs. The decision sparked widespread anger within the community, leading to large-scale protests on the streets. Veteran journalist Neerja Chowdhury, in her book How Prime Ministers Decide, writes: “Muslims protested on the streets in their lakhs, holding demonstrations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Kanpur, Hyderabad and other cities. This also exerted its own pressure on the AIMPLB [All India Muslim Personal Law Board].” She further writes: “These protests in 1985 were the first real signs of large-scale assertiveness by Muslims after independence. There had been demonstrations by the community earlier, of course… But there had never been anything to compare with the outrage that erupted after the judgment.”  The Rajiv …

Waqf Bill, Cleared By Parliament After Marathon Debate, Gets President’s Assent

Waqf Bill, Cleared By Parliament After Marathon Debate, Gets President’s Assent

Last Updated:April 06, 2025, 00:19 IST The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was cleared by both Houses of Parliament this week after two days of marathon debates. The legislation seeks to stop misuse of Waqf properties. The Waqf Amendment Bill was cleared by the Parliament this week. (File Pic) The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was cleared by both Houses of the Parliament this week after two days of marathon debates, got President Droupadi Murmu’s approval on Saturday, which means it will now officially become a law. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to alter the functioning of the Waqf board and properties, was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favour and 95 opposing it, following a 13-hour debate going past midnight. It was cleared in the Lok Sabha in a 288-232 vote after a 12-hour debate. As per the order, the legislation will be called the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The word “Waqf” would be substituted by “Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development” (UMEED). The Waqf Amendment Bill proposes an amendment to the …

Akhilesh Yadav mocks BJP over election of new chief, Amit Shah retorts with ‘dynastic’ jibe | Latest News India

Akhilesh Yadav mocks BJP over election of new chief, Amit Shah retorts with ‘dynastic’ jibe | Latest News India

A war of words erupted in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its delay in electing a new president. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union home minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.(PTI) “A party that claims to be the biggest political party in the world has still not been able to elect its own national president,” Yadav said in the Lok Sabha. In response, Union home minister Amit Shah took a ‘dynastic politics’ jibe at the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister. “Akhilesh Ji made his remark with a smile, so I will respond in the same manner. The parties sitting across from us in this House all have national presidents who are selected from just five family members. But in our party, we have to conduct a process involving 12-13 crore members, so naturally, it takes time. In your party, there is no delay at all,” said Shah. Also Read | …

Mandya observes call for shutdown amid Waqf row | Latest News India

Mandya observes call for shutdown amid Waqf row | Latest News India

Srirangapatna in Mandya district came to a standstill on Monday as business establishments remained shut and educational institutions were closed in response to a bandh called by various organisations and the farmers’ welfare committee to protest against Waqf Board. Police presence in Srirangapatna of Mandya district to maintain peace amid bandh called by farmers’ organisations on Monday. (HT Photo) According to people familiar with the matter, shops, commercial establishments, and small factories, including garment units in Srirangapatna, Kiranaguru, and K Shettahalli, remained shut. Schools and colleges also saw no attendance. The only exceptions were milk centres and Jan Aushadhi stores. Local shopkeepers and transport unions, including auto drivers, taxi drivers, and goods tempo operators, voluntarily supported the bandh, effectively paralysing daily activities. Farmers and protesters marched through the streets in a massive show of dissent. At Kuvempu Circle on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, protesters blocked traffic, raising slogans against the state Congress government and the Karnataka Waqf Board. Effigies of Waqf and minority welfare minister Zameer Ahmed were burnt as a sign of protest. Addressing the …

JD(U) yet to clear its stance on controversial Waqf Bill | Latest News India

JD(U) yet to clear its stance on controversial Waqf Bill | Latest News India

After the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to dissolve the waqf board in the state for being “non-inclusive” and “non-functional”, all eyes are now on the Janata Dal (United)’s stance on the proposed bill to amend the Waqf Act. Rajya Sabha lawmaker and working president of the JDU, Sanjay Jha, said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has already met the representatives of the waqf boards in the state to seek their response to the proposed bill. (PTI) Both the Telugu Desam Party, which heads the Andhra Pradesh government, and the JD(U) are allies of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and partners in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. Also read: Explained: What is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024? According to JD(U) functionaries, the party is in the process of collating responses and feedback from the stakeholders before presenting its stance to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC), which is examining the controversial legislation and whose tenure has been extended till the last day of the budget session in 2025. Rajya Sabha lawmaker and working president of …

Andhra Pradesh govt dissolves Waqf Board, cancels controversial GO-47 – India TV

Andhra Pradesh govt dissolves Waqf Board, cancels controversial GO-47 – India TV

Image Source : FILE N. Chandrababu Naidu In a significant move, the government of Andhra Pradesh, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has dissolved the state’s Wakf Board and withdrawn the controversial Government Order (GO) 47 issued during the previous administration. This decision was made in line with the directives of the state High Court, which had raised concerns about the appointment process for the Waqf Board. Minister Farooq’s statement on decision Speaking on the matter, the state’s Minister for Law and Minority Welfare, Mohammed Farooq, clarified that the current coalition government had decided to annul GO-47, which had been issued during the previous government’s tenure. The new GO, numbered 75, has now been issued by the Minority Welfare Department. Minister Farooq explained that the controversial appointments made under GO-47 had led to legal challenges, with several individuals approaching the state High Court. The court, in its interim order on November 1, 2023, had put a halt to the selection process for the Chairman of the Wakf Board, creating a legal vacuum and administrative …

Sonia Gandhi’s ‘Rahul plane’ will crash again in Jharkhand: Amit Shah | Latest News India

Sonia Gandhi’s ‘Rahul plane’ will crash again in Jharkhand: Amit Shah | Latest News India

In a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Sonia Gandhi tried to launch her son 20 times, and her “Rahul plane” was also going to crash on the 21st attempt in Jharkhand. Amit Shah said that while Jharkhand powers the nation with coal, the people of the state have remained poor.(PTI) Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Giridih, he alleged that the waqf board in Karnataka grabbed lands of ancient temples, and an amendment will be made in the law to stop it despite stringent opposition. “Sonia-ji is fond of launching her son. Sonia-ji tried to launch the ‘Rahul plane’ 20 times but it failed to land. It crashed 20 times. It is going to crash on the 21st time at the Deoghar airport,” he said. Amit Shah also accused the waqf board of grabbing farmlands. “This waqf board is in the habit of grabbing land. In Karnataka, they have devouered assets of entire villages, 500 years old temples. They have grabbed farmlands. Tell me whether changes are …

The Waqf row and the BJP’s goals

The Waqf row and the BJP’s goals

What started as a social media post by MP Tejasvi Surya, with reference to a village in Vijayapura district in north Karnataka is now under the radar of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu The campaign against the Karnataka Waqf Board, taken up by the State unit of the BJP ahead of bypolls on November 13, 2024, has now ballooned into a national issue. What started as a social media post by MP Tejasvi Surya, with reference to a village in Vijayapura district in north Karnataka, followed by protests in many districts, is now under the radar of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Meanwhile, the issue has also been raised by the BJP in the bypoll-bound Wayanad district of Kerala. Without referring to Wafq, Union Minister Suresh Gopi called it a “four-lettered monstrosity”. In Karnataka, the BJP has alleged that the Waqf Board is trying to “snatch lands” that poor farmers have been cultivating for generations. Mr. Surya initially alleged that …

JPC chief meets farmers amid Waqf land notice controversy | Latest News India

JPC chief meets farmers amid Waqf land notice controversy | Latest News India

Chairperson of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker, Jagdambika Pal, on Thursday said he has come to Karnataka to meet aggrieved farmers whose lands were allegedly marked as Waqf properties. Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill Chairman Jagdambika Pal shows a petition that he received after a meeting with local farmers regarding their lands being claimed by the State Waqf Board, in Hubballi on Thursday. (PTI) As part of his trip to the southern state, Pal was scheduled to visit Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi to meet farmers and members of various organisations, amid allegations that their lands were being claimed by the Karnataka Waqf Board, as well as to gather information for JPC’s report on the proposed Waqf law. “As chairman of Waqf board JPC, I have come to Hubballi to meet farmers. They are saying that despite being the bona fide owners of the land, the (Waqf) board is claiming ownership,” Pal told reporters in Hubballi. Also Read | Waqf land …