Patna (Bihar) [India], April 5 : Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday, while lauding the passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, questioned whether previously the properties under the Waqf Board were being utilised for the benefit of the poor or not. He claimed that while Bihar has its own multiple Waqf boards, there is not an instance of it running an orphanage or hospital in the state.
"There are many Waqf properties in Patna, but name any one hospital or orphanage under Waqf in Patna. Is a big orphanage being made by Waqf? But only cases are being made there (Patna). It is said the Waqf property is Allah's, but the benefits are being reaped by their relatives; this is "gair islami" (non-Islamic). It needed a lot of improvement, and this Waqf Amendment Bill is a step in this direction," he told reporters in Patna, Bihar.
Bihar has two state Waqf Boards, separate for the Shia and Sunni Muslim communities, named 'Shia Waqf Board' and 'Bihar State Sunni Wakf Board', respectively.
He further recounted his experience as Uttar Pradesh minister and overseer of the UP Waqf Board, saying that during his time there, he heard many cases of property and land disputes.
"When I served as a minister in UP, I handled the Waqf department for some time. All the time, I had to meet people who had property cases going on because it is a property case. What is Waqf? One says that it is not their property but Allah's property. Waqf properties were there for the welfare of the people," the governor said.
Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha took on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, criticising the latter's support for the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The RJD MP called the Bill "unconstitutional," and said that along with his party, All India Personal Muslim Law Board and opposition parties, are looking for different options, including moving to the court to get this bill dismissed.
The RJD MP told ANI, "It was a historical opportunity for the government...You are destroying it (Waqf Board) with your dog whistle politics. You have taken another big step toward eliminating Muslims. Many political parties, which are generally not in support of the opposition, supported the opposition in this matter...If all the positioning in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been done on the decision of Nitish Kumar, then it's a concerning matter."