Shelve Waqf Amendment Bill, AIADMK tells Centre

Chennai, Jan 30 (PTI) The Opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Thursday urged the Centre to shelve the Waqf Amendment Bill, respecting the sentiments of the minorities.

The quick approval of the draft by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill after rejecting the recommendations made by various parties was 'unacceptable,' AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said.

Waqf properties across India, including those in Tamil Nadu, were governed by the Waqf Act 1995, he said. Against this backdrop, the proposed Amendment by the BJP government was likely to deprive Muslims of their rights over the Waqf properties and facilitate encroachment.

"Thus, the rights of Muslims over their places of worship and burial grounds may also be taken away. They are staging protests across the country against this," Palaniswami said in a statement here.

Although the Central government claimed that the Amendment was aimed to protect Waqf properties, the apprehensions of the Muslim community that the provisions were against them were 'justified,' he said.

"Therefore, I urge the Central Government to respect the sentiments of the minorities and drop the move to table the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament," Palaniswami said in the statement. PTI JSP KH