Hyderabad: AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled in the Parliament today, terming it "discriminatory" and "arbitrary". The Bill, he said, interferes with the fundamental Right to Freedom of Religion enshrined in the Constitution, and would help the government take over not only Waqf properties but also those belonging to dargahs and mosques.
The proposed law, which envisages changes to the existing version on 44 points, has already been criticised as "draconian" by the Opposition parties.
"No law limits the right of a person to will their property or dispose it. But look at what you are doing - Hindus can give complete property to daughter or son. I as a Muslim can only give one-third. I can gift but cannot give it to Allah. You are stopping me from praying. You are restraining work for Allah," Owaisi said.
The MP, in particular pointed at a provision that bars converts for less than five years from donating to Waqf. "To insist that a person has been practicing for five years -- how can this be verified? Who will decide? Does a new convert have to wait for five years to donate? Isn't that a violation of right to freedom of religion?" Owaisi said, sharply criticizing the proposed amendments.
He said that such a rule was not applicable to Hindus, Sikhs or people belonging to any other religions.
The bill violates the Constitution's Articles 14, which guarantees equality before law and Article 15, which bars discrimination on basis of religion. The government is "not competent" to make these amendments, he said and accused it of being divisive.
A few Muslims are also opposing another key provision, inclusion of two non-Muslim persons, a Union Minister, three MPs and senior IAS officers in the Waqf board. They demanded that women should also be included into the Board for making the amendments.
