SRINAGAR: Politicians in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday said that the proposed amendments to the Waqf Bill are intended to target Muslims and infringe upon their faith.
Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone, in a post on X said that the Waqf Bill is yet another instance of right-wing interference.
“Waqf, by definition, is the custodian of properties collectively owned by Muslims. It is an Islamic concept. The proposed amendment by Parliament is a blatant interference in our faith, aimed at divesting rightful custodians of their authority. Yet another right-wing trespass,” he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking to reporters, said that the proposed amendment to the Waqf Bill is a conspiracy to target Muslims. “I don’t have any expectations from the BJP government,” she said.
“For the past couple of years, Muslims have been lynched, mosques have been destroyed, and graveyards have been seized,” she added.
PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Para said that the Bill mirrors the J&K Reorganisation Act, prioritising control over community rights. “Just like the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, which reorganised the state into union territories, the Waqf Bill seeks to centralise authority over community properties,” he said.
Senior NC leader Hasnain Masoodi vowed to oppose the bill “tooth and nail,” calling it “unnecessary and undemocratic.” He accused the Joint Parliamentary Committee of failing to function democratically and alleged that the government was deliberately targeting a particular community.
“A particular community is being deliberately targeted. There is no such law anywhere in the world. We will oppose it with full force,” Masoodi said, warning that the bill sets a dangerous precedent for state interference in religious matters.
He stressed that reform should not come at the cost of a community’s rights, stating, “This bill is just the beginning, and if passed, it will have serious consequences.” He cautioned that it could lead to further encroachments on Muslim religious affairs.
