Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Chief Priest welcomes proposed Waqf Board Act amendments

AYODHYA: After reports suggested that the centre is planning to amend the Waqf Board Act, Chief Priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das Ji Maharaj welcomed the proposed amendments by the government.

He said, "This is a good step; the female has no share in the Waqf board's property as no female member is a part of the Waqf board, now females will have their share in the properties of Waqf board.

He said, "How is a property owned by the Waqf board? On what basis did the Waqf board own this property, and what is the monetary value of the Waqf board's property? The Waqf board properties will be reviewed. The land under the Waqf board in different regions will be checked."


He further said, "The review will be done by the administration, then after the review, every aspect of the property will be checked including monetary value, the basis of ownership, source of the land and process of acquisition".

He said, "How does the Waqf board acquire government land, who gave them the lands, These things should be checked".

"If any property has a certain monetary value then it should be paid by the Waqf board, currently Waqf board has acquired the government properties without paying anything. The property will be reviewed by the district magistrate," he added.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav opposed the move alleging that the BJP only wanted to snatch the rights of Muslims.

"BJP has no work except Hindu-Muslim or how to snatch the rights of Muslim brothers. The rights they have got, the right to freedom or the right to follow their religion, the right to maintain their working system...Those who are worried about reservations, backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities should leave BJP immediately," he said.

The central government is considering making amendments to the Waqf Act which could restrict the power of the Waqf Board said sources. According to the sources, 32-40 amendments are being considered in the Waqf Board Act.

Waqf Act was first passed by Parliament in 1954. Subsequently, it was repealed and a new Waqf Act was passed in 1995 which gave more powers to Waqf Boards. In 2013, this Act was further amended to give far-reaching powers to the Waqf Board to designate the property as 'Waqf Property'.

According to sources the proposed amendments are likely to make it mandatory for the Waqf Board to register its property in the District Collector's office so that the property can be evaluated. The amendments also aim to enhance inclusivity by ensuring women's representation on the Central Waqf Council and state boards.