Waqf (Amendment) Bill should be called ‘looters (amendment) law’: Owaisi

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the NDA government in the Centre over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday alleged that the bill should be called a ‘looters (amendment) law’ as the BJP-led regime wants to take away waqf properties.

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s reported remarks that one cannot approach courts against the waqf tribunal, Owaisi alleged that Shah was “lying”.

Owaisi, who has been a vocal critic of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alleged that it violates several provisions of the Constitution, including Articles 14, 26, and 29.

“The BJP and NDA governments are doing the work of looters. They want to snatch away waqf properties,” Owaisi was quoted as saying by PTI. “Why are you removing the survey commissioner (as per the proposed bill)? It is the senior-most officer’s post. This is all for looting. It should not be called Waqf (Amendment) but ‘looters (amendment) law,” he added.

Referring to Union home minister Amit Shah’s reported remarks that one cannot approach courts against the waqf tribunal, Owaisi alleged that Shah was “lying”, according to PTI.

The AIMIM chief said there are several tribunals, including the Income Tax tribunal and railway claims tribunal and review petitions can be filed against its judgments in high court.

“Can you file (review petition) against the Income Tax tribunal? Amit Shah is misleading the country and lying,” the AIMIM chief added.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) in August 2024, will be reintroduced in the current session of Parliament, which ends on April 3.

He said no one should be afraid of the proposed legislation as the Narendra Modi government is amending the Waqf Act in accordance with the ambit of the Constitution.