Badruddin Ajmal’s claim, ‘Parliament building and Delhi Airport made on Waqf property’, slammed by BJP.

Badruddin Ajmal Claims Parliament Building, Delhi Airport Built On Waqf Land, BJP Says ‘Baseless Rumours’.

After claiming an entire Hindu village of Thiruchendurai in Tamilnadu including 1500 yrs Sundareswarar Temple, next claiming a huge  hamlet of Latin Catholic fishermen in Kerala’s Munambam, the Waqf aspirations have heightened to claim Indian Parliament and Delhi Airport too.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Oct 17, 2024::  AIDUF Chief Badaruddin Ajmal stoked a controversy claiming that the Parliament Building and the area surrounding it in the  national capital have been built on the Waqf property.

Speaking to the reporters on Wednesday in Guwahati , Ajmal claimed that the area around Vasant Viharin the national capital up to the airport  has been built on Waqf property.

“There are claims and a list of Waqf properties across the world is out – the Parliament building, surrounding areas, and areas around Vasant Vihar up to the airport  have been built on Waqf property. People also say that the airport  has been built on Waqf property,” the AIUDF said.

“It is bad to use the Waqf land without permission. They will lose their Ministry very soon over this Waqf Board issue,” he added.

Ajmal, who served as Member of Parliament for 15 years, expressed strong disapproval over the Waqf Bill and said that all parties have boycotted the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to review the bill.

Meanwhile, the opposition MPs have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on gross violation of the parliamentary code of conduct during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The opposition MPs in the letter alleged numerous violations of the parliamentary code of conduct and rules of procedure by Committee Chairperson Jagdambika Pal during the Committee meeting held on October 14 in New Delhi.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf Bill at Parliament Annexe, witnessed a heated exchange between ruling party MPs and opposition MPs, leading to an intense debate and the opposition MPs staging a walkout of the meeting.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday appealed to all MPs to support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 saying that India has the largest Waqf properties and they should be utilised for the welfare of the Muslim community.

The minister’s statement followed a controversy triggered by AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, who claimed that the Parliament building and  its surrounding areas in the national capital were built on Waqf property.

“We appeal to all MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. Parliament & Municipal buildings, Airports, cities & villages need protection. India has largest Waqf properties in the world. We must use them for the welfare of women, children & backward groups within Muslim community,” Rijiju wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Reacting to his claims, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that Badruddin Ajmal is engaging in appeasement politics because his entire vote bank supported Congress in the Lok Sabha election, leading to his defeat.

“I would like to tell these leaders – do not insult the Constitution while indulging in appeasement politics. The Constitution upholds secularism, and secularism means we cannot lease out the sovereignty of the country to any private body. If it were up to them, they would claim every land as Waqf land. This is why the government is working to bring the Waqf Amendment Act, so that it truly benefits poor Muslims,” Bhandari said.

Clearly, Ajmal’s remarks did not go down well with the BJP as another party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala accused him of trying to spread baseless rumours.

“Tomorrow, they can claim your house too. They can claim my house as well. All these people are profess ional land grabbers,” Poonawala said.

According to present norms, the Waqf Board has unlimited powers to handle such properties. The amendments brought to the Waqf Act by the Central Government in 1995 complicated matters further. So, if a Muslim believer says he’s giving a plot of land as Waqf, the Waqf Board can acquire the property without even filing a notice, and the affected parties can’t even approach the courts. They can only approach the Waqf council with a complaint. The decision of the council, which is filled with Muslim members, is final.

At a time when the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sparked debates and discussions across the country, the plight of 200 families in Munambam who are spending sleepless nights due to the Waqf Act raises questions on the country’s secular values and faith in the Constitution.

The Waqf Act  emerged as a demon for the Latin Catholic people in Munambam, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala.  The vast land belongs to those who lived here for several generations. There are no concerns about the 4,000-odd people who are on the verge of losing their land overnight for the draconian Waqf land. The land belongs to the ordinary fisherfolk. While a large majority of the people belong to the Latin Catholic community, about 200 affected families belong to Ezhava, Dheevara and Kudumbi communities. There is only one Muslim family in the entire land where the Waqf Board has staked claims.

Earlier, in Tamil Nadu, the Waqf Board has claimed ownership of the 1,500-year-old Sundareswarar Temple and the entire Hindu village of Thiruchendurai in Tiruchirappalli district.

Thiruchendurai and Munambam are just two examples of the evil effect of draconian Waqf Act. Through the Waqf Jihad, Muslims perpetuate Land Jihad

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__Inputs from ANI and TNIE.