Srinagar: Union Home Minister said that any non-Muslim members appointed in the Waqf Board or its premises will not be involved in religious activities.
“Their role will be solely to ensure that the administration of charity-related matters is being conducted in accordance with the regulations,” he said according to KNS correspondent.
He said that Waqf in India functions like a trust, where there are trustees and a managing trustee. In Waqf, there are Waqif (donor) and Mutawalli (administrator), who are followers of Islam. Shah pointed out that the word Waqf itself comes from Islam, so only those who follow Islam can manage Waqf. He further clarified that while Waqf is a religious matter, the Waqf Board or Waqf properties themselves are not religious institutions.
According to the law, a Charity Commissioner can be from any religion, as they are not managing a trust; their responsibility is to ensure that the Board operates in compliance with charity laws. Shah emphasized that this is an administrative matter, not a religious one.
Amit Shah said that the primary role of the Waqf Board should be to identify and remove those who are exploiting Waqf properties.
It should focus on individuals who have leased out properties in the name of Waqf at extremely low rates for hundreds of years, he said.
He mentioned that the income from Waqf is decreasing, whereas this money should be used for the development of the minority community and to strengthen the institutions of Islam. The main task of the Waqf Board and its premises should be to stop the theft of these funds.
He further stated that the opposition wants to maintain the ongoing collusion during their rule, but now, that will no longer be the case.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that if the Waqf law had not been amended in 2013, this bill would not have been necessary. However, before the 2014 elections, in 2013, the Waqf law was drastically altered overnight for the sake of appeasement, which led to the allocation of 123 high-profile properties in the Lutyens’ Zone of Delhi to Waqf, he added.
Amit Shah said that the government has no intention of interfering in the religious activities of Muslim brothers or the trusts they have established, including Waqf. He clarified that the Mutawalli, Waqif, and Waqf will remain under their control, but it is essential to ensure that Waqf properties are being properly maintained and used lawfully, rather than for personal gain.
He questioned the justification of leasing centuries-old donated property for a five-star hotel at a mere ?12,000 per month. Instead, he emphasized that this money should be utilized for the welfare of poor Muslims, divorced women, orphaned children, and unemployed youth, helping them become self-sufficient and skilled. He further pointed out that while Waqf owns land worth lakhs of crores of rupees, its annual income is only ?126 crore, raising concerns about mismanagement and misuse.(KNS)
