Clearing the air regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, which is facing resistance from the opposition, the Delhi Hajj Committee Chief Kausar Jahan said that the Bill will bring accountability and transparency in the Waqf Boards. She added that the Bill will benefit the Muslim community, particularly Muslim women. Speaking to the media on Wednesday (26th March), Jahan dismissed the protests against the Bill as politically motivated. “This Bill is for the benefit of the Muslim community. This is a significant step in the direction of fairness and transparency. This will empower Muslim women as well, ” said the Delhi Hajj Committee Chair.
Delhi: On the Waqf Amendment Bill protest, Chairperson of the Delhi State Haj Committee, Kausar Jahan says, "The protest is politically motivated, but the bill is for the betterment of the Muslim community. It is a significant step towards fairness and transparency, empowering… pic.twitter.com/cEicu4p95C
— IANS (@ians_india) March 26, 2025
Jahan refuted the allegations against the Bill that it would violate the rights of Muslims. Questioning the opposition parties protesting against the Bill, Jahan asked, “The people protesting against the Bill, why don’t they present their opinion in the Parliament? They should present their views appropriately. Protesting is not going to yield any result”. She said that protests by the opposition do not make sense as Parliament is in session, and they should present their views there. Supporting the Bill, Jahan said that the Bill will ensure that the underprivileged sections of the Muslim community, including women, receive the benefits of the Waqf properties. She said that the Bill should have been introduced a long time ago.
#WATCH | Delhi | On the protest organised by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Chairperson of Delhi State Haj Committee, Kausar Jahan says, "There is no point in protesting…They should put forth their views in Parliament. Everything… pic.twitter.com/TWlWEc0oVR
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2025
Jahan lashed out at the opposition and accused them of misleading the Muslim community and misusing religious sentiments for their political agenda. “Some people believe that there is no need for these amendments, and propaganda is being spread about the intentions of the government, but these changes are needed to fully realise, with accountability and transparency, the intentions behind setting up the Waqf Board,” Jahan said. “It is important that underprivileged sections of the Muslim community receive the benefits from the waqf properties,” she added.
Jahan accused AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan of not paying salaries to Imams
Jahan launched a scathing attack on AAP MLA and Chief of Delhi Waqf Board, Amanatullah Khan, accusing him of not paying salaries to Imams. “The Waqf Board had been set up to assist underprivileged Muslims, but instead, the Board is being misused to fill the pockets of a few people. For example, in Delhi, the former chief Amanatullah Khan did not pay salaries to Imams, which finally Delhi’s Lt Governor V.K. Saxena made sure to allocate. Widow pensions were held back, and issues related to the transparency of how money was spent also came up. Even appointments were also done of friends and relatives of the chief, ” Jahan was quoted as saying by the Hindu.
“There are many who feel that the Waqf Board was being run by a club of like-minded people. The specific role of the Collector as surveyor of Waqf property is needed to ensure proper identification with proper documentation. With the administration involved, a proper procedure will be followed, and documents maintained,” she added. Notably, Amanatullah Khan is facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation in a money laundering case related to the alleged wrongful appointment of employees and leasing of assets of the Delhi Waqf Board during the tenure of Amanatullah Khan as its head.
The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 was introduced last year and was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which held discussions with various stakeholders and received various suggestions. However, the Bill has been facing protests from political parties. A protest rally was organised by several Muslim organisations under the umbrella of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board in Patna, Bihar, on 26th March. The protest was supported by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
