Waqf Amendment Bill will make sure adequate representation of Muslim women in the Waqf Board, announced senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani on Thursday.
The Bill was brought in to facilitate the registration of Waqf properties in a central portal and other connected reforms; it was introduced in Parliament on Thursday.
The former Union Minister told : “Muslim women have a lot of expectations from this Bill. Earlier, Muslim women were not given proper representation on the Waqf Board. But this Bill proposes a new avenue for women which is a matter of happiness. I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this.”
He further said that the Bill was an attempt of the Central government to bring in more system into the administrative framework of the Waqf Board. The Minister lauded PM Modi's initiative and said that the Bill would put an end to the unauthorized selling of property of children and women in Muslim families.
“PM Modi deserves appreciation for this step. On many occasions, the properties of children and women in Muslim families are sold off without their permission. But this Bill seeks to adopt a tough stance on this issue so that such steps are not taken,” she added.
One of the biggest legislations the Modi 3.0 regime is bringing in is the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, over which controversy has erupted among Muslim outfits and Opposition parties.
The new bill seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995 as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act.
He has agreed to the demand for sending the Bill to a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from all political parties, as appointed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Waqf is the property declared for a religious or charitable purpose under Islamic law, and once dedicated, it cannot be revoked. The Bill addresses some issues relating to this concept.
With nearly 30 Waqf boards in India looking after over 9 lakh acres of land, valued at a whopping Rs 1.2 lakh crore, the Waqf boards become the third-biggest landowners in the country—after only the Indian Railways and the Defence Ministry.
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