New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chief, Jagdambika Pal, on Thursday rejected the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Central Waqf Councils and State Waqf Boards as an ‘encroachment’ in the religious rights of minorities, reasoning that it was essential for better upkeep and maintenance of Waqf properties.
The JPC chief, speaking to IANS, said that the Waqf (Amendment) Act has been brought with a clear motive and i.e. ‘respect for Islam and gift for Muslims’.
“Waqf Boards are not religious but administrative bodies. Hence, if capable and efficient non-Muslims become part of the Board, it will not be an interference in the religious rights of minorities, but it will only enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in the management of Waqf properties,” Pal said.
The JPC chief’s assertions come amid the hearing of a clutch of petitions by the Supreme Court, where the latter also asked questions about non-Muslims getting a role in the Waqf Board.
Pal cited two court rulings from 2010 (Ram Rajya Foundation Vs Waqf Board) and 1982 in Karnataka and stated that in both cases, the respective courts adjudged Waqf Boards as administrative bodies.
“As it has been established by court rulings, Waqf Board is an administrative body and the JPC has only recommended strengthening its framework by paving the way for inclusion of capable and efficient managers in the Board,” he said.
He also cited the JPC’s recommendation of inclusion of an Islamic scholar in the Waqf Tribunal as a progressive step.
Addressing the issue of the Collector being the ‘final authority’ in deciding any property dispute, he said that this provision has been altered and now the state-level secretary or Commissioner-level officer will decide the outcome in case of any dispute, thus ruling out any scope of bias.
Allaying apprehensions over removal of the ‘Waqf by user’ clause, he said that the legislation will be effective in prospective and not with retrospective effect.
“It is essential to digitise the records. Going forward, every property that is being given as ‘waqf’ should be in government records. This will only bring transparency and cut down scope for property disputes,” he reasoned.
–IANS
mr/rad
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
