– Ahmed Noor Qureshi
Jalna: The President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, on Saturday lashed out at the BJP-led central government, accusing it of imposing unconstitutional laws on minorities, including the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand.
Rahmani was addressing a conference organised by the Tahaffuz-e-Awqaf Committee of AIMPLB in Jalna, Maharashtra. He alleged that the Modi government is deliberately attempting to erase the identity, culture, and language of the Muslim community by bringing laws like the UCC, similar to the one implemented in Uttarakhand.
He urged Muslims to unite and stand firmly behind the AIMPLB in its fight for justice. “Whenever the AIMPLB gives a call, the community should respond with solidarity, setting aside internal differences,” he said. Rahmani also demanded the repeal of the Waqf Act, terming it “unconstitutional” and a direct interference in religious matters.
Congress MP Dr Kalyan Kale, speaking at the event, accused the central government of attempting to seize Muslim properties under the guise of the Waqf Act. “The Congress party has always stood with the legitimate rights of Muslims and has opposed the Waqf Bill in Parliament,” he said.
Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, convenor of the Tahaffuz Committee, criticised the BJP government for not consulting the Muslim community before amending the Waqf Act. “Since the British era, changes to the Waqf law have been made with community consent. This government unilaterally imposed it. Waqf properties are the legacy of our ancestors, and we will not give them up,” he said.
AIMPLB Secretary Maulana Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani stressed that Waqf is a purely religious matter. “We will not tolerate government interference through legislation. The massive gathering here proves our determination to resist the Act,” he declared.
Ziyauddin Siddiqui, president of Wahdat-e-Islami Hind, reminded the audience that the concept of Waqf dates back to the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He accused the government of spreading fear through such laws targeting the Muslim community.
Several political and religious leaders joined in criticising the BJP government for enacting the Waqf Amendment Act. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader and former MLA Rajesh Tope, Congress leader and former MLA Kailash Gorantyal, and Shiv Sena (UBT) district president Bhaskar Ambekar lashed the Modi Government for anti-Muslim policy.
Other notable speakers included Ameer-e-Shariyat Marathwada Hazrat Maulana Mufti Moizuddin Qasmi sahib, Maulana Hafiz Mohammad Nadeem Siddiqui (Jamiat Ulama, Mahmood Madani faction), JIH Secretary Abdul Mujeeb Shaikh, Advocate Azhar Tamboli (SDPI), Abdul Qavi Falahi (JIH), Mufti Abdul Rahman (Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind), Sohel Nadvi (Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Arshad Madni), member AIMPLB Maulana Rafiuddin Ashrafi, and senior leader of NCP Iqbal Pasha spoke on the occasion. The conference was convened by Maulana Abdul Rauf Nadvi. The proceedings of the conference were conducted by Mufti Faheem, Liyaqat Yaseer, Ejaz Qasim, and Shaikh Ismail.
[Ahmed Noor Qureshi is a senior journalist and stringer PTI, Jalna, Maharashtra]
