The state BJP has welcomed the Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024. BJP State President and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi has put the INDI bloc including the Congress Party in the dock. He said that this amendment is a bill to give the poor and women of the Muslim society their rights and entitlements. He said that the parties who do not want to see the progress and development of the Muslim society, the women of the society, are opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024.

Marandi said that it is very important to free the Waqf Board from the clutches of land mafias and robbers and use it in the interest of poor Muslims, but some people are working as puppets of land mafias instead of using it in the interest of poor Muslims. This is sad, they should worry about poor Muslims.

He said that the bill is not unconstitutional from anywhere. Waqf has been there since before independence and amendments were made even before independence. Till now, this Act has been amended 5 times. When it was not unconstitutional then, how did this amendment become unconstitutional? After independence, in 1954, the Waqf Act was made by regulating the Waqf Act which was in place since the British era. After this, a new Waqf Board Act came in the year 1995.

Marandi said that in 2013, the Congress UPA government illegally amended it and gave unlimited rights to the Waqf Board that the Waqf Board can claim its right on any land.

He said that the problem related to Waqf is not only of Muslims but Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and even Muslims are suffering from it on a large scale. There have been many such cases in which the Waqf has arbitrarily declared temples, gurudwaras and even entire villages as Waqf property.

Marandi alleged that the Kolkata High Court and the Supreme Court have not considered Waqf as a religious board, but have seen it as a trust or institution established under the Waqf Act which is related to the management and maintenance of the property.

He said that the Waqf Amendment Act will not have any effect on the land properties already registered in Waqf. The issues on which the dispute is going on will be settled on the order of the court. The Waqf Amendment Act is simply to effectively address the issues related to the powers of the State Waqf Boards, registration of Waqf properties, survey and removal of encroachment.

He said that the bill that has been brought is based on the Sachar Committee report (in which reform was talked about), which was made by the Congress. This bill will not interfere with the freedom of any religious institution. Forget about taking away anyone's rights, this bill has been brought to give rights to those who never got rights.

Marandi said that many Muslim organizations, Christian organizations have also supported the Waqf Amendment Bill. The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has appealed to all the MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. He said that this bill is for reform, not for revolt. This bill will also ensure the rights of poor Muslims and women. We are bringing transparency through this bill.

He said that in 2013, just before the Lok Sabha elections, Congress made several illegal amendments in the Wakf Act by hastily forming a 13-member select committee and gave unlimited rights to the Wakf, which created many irregularities. According to this, if the Wakf Board just feels that a property belongs to the Wakf, then it does not have to present any document or proof. All the papers and proofs have to be given to the person who has been the claimant till now. The Wakf Board takes advantage of this because it does not have to submit any paper to take possession.

 He said that the people of the Indy alliance including the Congress party should stop misleading the public.