New Delhi [India], April 5 : Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams on Saturday attacked those protesting against the Waqf Amendment Bill, recently passed by the Parliament, labelling them as "political Muslims." He said that poor Muslims were not protesting against the bill, which he said was in their favour.
"The Waqf Amendment Bill is for the poor, and I had said that poor Muslims are not protesting. Those who are protesting are political Muslims," Shams told ANI.
He further raised objections regarding the burning of effigies by the protestors, saying that it was not a part of Islam. Shams accused the protestors of "misleading" people and said that Pasmanda Muslims shouldn't be afraid.
"Burning effigies is not a part of Islam; how are they burning effigies? These are political Muslims; they are misleading, and they are fooling people. It has become clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party will fight for the rights of the poor and the Pasmandas with full force. No, Pasmanda needs to be afraid," Shams said.
Earlier, Muslim organisations, under the banner of the Joint Forum for Waqf Protection, took to the streets in Kolkata, West Bengal, to protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, which Parliament passed in the early hours of Friday.
The protestors hold placards that read, "We Reject Waqf Amendment Bill" and "Reject Waqf Bill." "No matter what happens, we will reclaim our rights in any way," they chanted.
The Parliament passed the bill in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 288 MPs voted in favour of the bill 232 in the lower house, while in the Rajya Sabha, 128 MPs voted in its favour and 95 against it.
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India.
The bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records.