The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has been cleared by each the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha after heated, marathon debates, will benefit women from the Muslim community and ensure transparency, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.
In an communication with NDTV on Friday, the previous regulation minister insisted that no mosque, area of worship or ‘kabrastan’ (graveyard) is going to be touched.
“The trouble is very simple and straight. Whether the aim of the ‘Waqif’ who created the Waqf for noble role is being achieved well by the ‘Muttawali’, who is the supervisor, or not. A Waqf is not a spiritual body in any respect. It is a criminal or a statutory body… The ‘Muttawali’ is only a superintendent or a supervisor. He does not have any rights over the property, because once a Waqf has been created, the property vests in Allah, peace be on him,” Mr Prasad said, including that the Bill will empower Muslim women and assist widows and the marginalised from the community.
Ravi Shankar Prasad Convey Transparency
Mr Prasad asserted that the invoice will assist convey transparency by making Waqf forums responsible. “The entire thing is being made responsible, the much might be available online, digitisation will occur, you can see which assets is wherein, who is the Muttawali, what use is the particular property being placed to in terms of the aim of the ‘Waqif (the person dedicating the belongings). So, all this stuff are very transparent now,” he said.
Backlash expected
To a question on whether or not the authorities is fearing a few type of backlash from the Muslim network and the possible effect the passage of the Bill might have on Nitish Kumar, who enjoys support among them, ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls later this year, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad said the queries around Mr Kumar were requested considering he allied with the BJP in 1996. Pointing to the protests towards the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the BJP chief said the citizenship of not even one Muslim has been taken away.