Waqf Amendment Bill: AIMPLB’s nationwide agitation an attempt to ‘mislead Muslims’, says BJP’s Jagadambika Pal

As the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) announced a nationwide “agitation” against the Waqf Amendment Bill, BJP's Jagadambika Pal criticised the AIMPLB, saying it is trying to “mislead minorities and Muslims” in the country. He added, “What the spokesperson of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has said is going to create confusion among the minorities of the country.”

“The way AIMPLB is doing politics in the name of Waqf, they are trying to mislead the minorities and Muslims of the country...as per the report of JPC, govt is going to bring in the amended law. Right now, the law hasn't come, but even before, based on planned politics, they are going to Patna…” ANI quoted BJP's Jagadambika Pal as saying.

Pal, who is also the chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), stated that the government wants to amend the bill so that it can be improved and the poor sections of the minorities can benefit from it.

“The government wants to amend it so that this law can be made better. The government is trying to amend the Waqf law so that the minorities, especially the poor, can benefit from it..but the bill has not even come yet, and they (the opposition) have already protested at Jantar Mantar, and now they are going to Patna on the 26th and Vijayawada on the 29th, so somewhere in the country they are trying to divide people by creating confusion among minorities and Muslims. What irresponsible thing do they want to do by doing this? ... The law will be made for the welfare of the country,” he further mentioned.

The AIMPLB and other opposition parties have been protesting against the Waqf Bill and have accused the central government of annihilating the rights of Muslim minorities with the Waqf Bill.

BJP's Ramchander Rao on AIMPLB and AIMIM

BJP leader Ramchander Rao slammed organisations like AIMPLB and AIMIM for providing a “false narrative” of the bill to the Muslim community, accusing them of both being scared that Muslims might begin voting for the BJP. “All India Muslim Personal Law Board, AIMIM, Muslim League, all these leaders are now worried that poor Muslims may shift towards BJP, and hence they are giving a false narrative and provoking innocent and poor Muslims,” Rao said.

‘Bill brought in with a communal intention’

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) spokesperson, criticised the central government, saying that they are not doing politics, adding the bill “has been brought in with a communal intention”. “We have only said that the Waqf Bill, which has been brought in, is just with a communal intention...That bill only captures the Waqf property...They are trying to mislead the people,” he said.

What is Waqf Amendment Bill?

​The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024, calling for significant reforms to the administration of waqf properties in India. Under Islamic law, the term “waqf” indicates properties endowed for religious, charitable, or pious purposes. It ​was sent to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) consisting of 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members. The committee was charged to examine the bill and submit its findings by the last week of the Winter Session, 2024.