A day after the Union government told the Supreme Court that Waqf is not an integral part of Islam, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLWB) has called for protests and demonstrations until the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is repealed. Fifteen Muslim organisations, including the Indian Union Muslim League, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, Jamat-e-Islami Hind, India Towheed Jaamat, All India Milli Council and others have come together under the aegis of the Board and launched a state-wide movement titled “Save Waqf, Save the Constitution”.
In a press conference held at the Chennai Press Club on May 22, Papanasam MLA M H Jawahirullah said that a public gathering would be held on June 13 with the participation of state-level leaders of the Congress, TMC, DMK, the Left Front and other parties who opposed the Bill in the parliament.
“These amendments are discriminatory and violate the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India. Furthermore, they appear to be part of a larger conspiracy to seize and destroy Muslim Waqf properties. Utilising its numerical strength in Parliament, the ruling BJP government has enforced arbitrary and unjust amendments to the Waqf Act, disregarding the sentiments and rights of crores of Muslims, minorities, and justice-loving citizens across the country,” the Board’s press release read.
Addressing the press conference, Jawahirullah said, “The BJP has brought this Bill to the parliament only because they have a majority. They had brought the three farm laws in the same manner, but the Modi government had to repeal them in the face of popular protest,” the MLA said.
Asserting that Waqf is an integral part of Islamic charitable practices, he added, “As far as Islam is concerned, charity or zakat is as integral as the Ramzan fast or the Hajj pilgrimage. It has existed since the Holy Prophet Muhammad asked Usman to give up his well for the use of the people.”
Jawahirullah further said that Waqf properties are not just used for the benefit of the Muslims but for the larger public good. He pointed to the MSS Waqf Board College in Madurai as an example, citing that the majority of students there aren’t Muslim. He also stated that the assertion that only Muslims can donate Waqf properties would mean that many donations by people from other religions would be taken away.
Stating that the demand to give documents for mosques cannot be met since many old mosques were not built with official paper trails, he said, “There are no documents to register. So they plan to declare mosques as not Waqf and steal them. The Babri Masjid was destroyed openly. Now they plan to legally destroy many mosques.”
The AIMPLWB has planned gatherings for the next three months, giving the call, Save Waqf Save Constitution, in several places including Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappally, Vaniyambady, and Coimbatore.
The Waqf Bill received presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 after it was passed in both houses of parliament following intense debate.