Scores of people gathered peacefully at Central Library Ground in the state capital on Thursday, braving extreme heat, to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act following a call issued by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).
The recently notified Waqf Amendment Act, passed by both Houses of Parliament and signed by the President, has sparked concern in the Muslim community over its perceived unilateral provisions.
Organisers had announced a disciplined two-hour protest without banners, flags or rallies. The demonstration remained calm throughout and concluded around 4 pm, as planned.
Speakers criticised the Act for bypassing community dialogue. Haji Mohammad Haroon, state president of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH), said such sweeping changes without consultation go against the spirit of a democratic India.
He argued that even during colonial rule, laws were made with some degree of dialogue. “We see nothing but flaws in this amendment,” Haroon said, urging its reconsideration.
He also pushed back against claims that the Waqf Board arbitrarily claims land. “We are only asking for fairness, not favour,” he said.
Bhopal (Central) MLA and member of the AIMPLB, Arif Masood, said all Board decisions are rooted in careful thought and divine guidance. “Allah is with us,” he said, recalling past legal stands like the Shah Bano case.
He said that if the Act truly aimed to reclaim encroached land and distribute it to the poor, he would personally support it. But the intention, he argued, seemed otherwise.
Masood reminded the audience that Waqf properties were donations made in faith. Many are officially recorded and have already been upheld in legal forums and tribunals across the country.
Shahr Qazi Mushtaq Ali Nadvi clarified that the issue was not religious but legal. He said attempts to portray the protest as communal were misleading and harmful.
Nadvi urged young people to uphold Islamic values of dignity, patience and peace. “Islam is a message of humanity,” he said. “We must never lose sight of that.”
