Those who encroached Waqf Board's land are misleading Muslims on Bill: MP Minister

Bhopal, March 31 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and cabinet minister in Madhya Pradesh government, Vishwas Sarang, on Monday alleged that some "Muslim leaders are deliberately misleading the people" on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.  

The Minister claimed that Muslim leaders, who encroached Waqf Board's land and constructed buildings, and now they have realised that those properties will be made encroachment-free, which is why they have decided to mislead the poor people from their own community.

"Most of the big Muslim leaders have encroached constructed buildings on Waqf Board's properties, and now they are misleading the poor people from their own community through wrong interpretation of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill," Sarang told IANS on Monday.

Sarang (53), who is the Sports and Youth Welfare Minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, made these remarks while speaking on the offering of Namaz by Muslims while wearing black bands in protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday, Muslims in Bhopal and various other parts of Madhya Pradesh wore black armbands during gatherings for 'namaz' (prayer). Black armbands were used to mark a protest against the Bill, and such agitations have been going on in the state for the last two weeks.

Earlier, Congress MLA Arif Masood, who has emerged as a key leader from the Muslim community in Madhya Pradesh, talking to IANS, said that Muslims will continue to observe peaceful agitation to express their concerns.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently (during an interview with a national media channel) made it clear that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) in August 2024, will be reintroduced in the current session of Parliament. Only four days are left as the ongoing budget session will come to an end on April 4.

The Home Minister has also stated that no one should be afraid of the proposed legislation as the Narendra Modi government is amending the Waqf Act in accordance with the ambit of the Constitution.