'Black law': AIMPLB to challenge Waqf Bill in court, plans protest

All India Muslim Personal Law Board members said they would organise protests across the country, similar to the farmers' agitation

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Wednesday announced that it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court, calling it a “black law” that threatens the rights of the Muslim community. The organisation also vowed to hold a nationwide protest, if necessary.

 

The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday for discussion and passage. If approved by the Lok Sabha, it will be sent to the Rajya Sabha.

 

'They want to take away our property'

 

Speaking at a press conference, AIMPLB member Md Adeeb strongly opposed the bill, calling it an attempt to seize Muslim properties.

 

 

“They have started this spectacle thinking they can take away our property. Can this be accepted? Do not think that we are defeated,” he said.

 

He added that the bill had been opposed during deliberations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which reviewed the proposed amendments.

 

“It should not be assumed that we have lost the battle. We have just begun. This is a fight to save the country because the proposed law endangers the very fabric of India,” Adeeb said.

 

AIMPLB plans legal and public action

 

Adeeb urged all conscientious citizens to resist the bill and reaffirmed AIMPLB's commitment to fighting it both in court and through public demonstrations.

 

“We will go to court. We will not rest until this law is withdrawn,” he said.

 

AIMPLB Vice-President Mohammad Ali Mohsin also voiced strong opposition to the bill, describing it as “discriminatory, communally motivated, and a blatant infringement on the constitutional rights of Muslim citizens.”

 

“We have started this fight because we want to save the country. Our aim is to put an end to this black law,” Mohsin added.

 

Nationwide protests planned

 

Board members said they would organise protests across the country, similar to the farmers' agitation.

 

“We will organise programmes across the country just like farmers did. If needed, we will block roads and take all peaceful measures to oppose the bill,” Mohsin said.

 

The AIMPLB argues that the bill undermines religious freedom, equality, and justice, which are guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

 

Key objections to the Bill

 

The AIMPLB has raised several objections to the proposed law:

 

·The bill allows non-Muslim members in the Waqf boards, which the AIMPLB claims interferes with the Muslim community’s right to manage its own religious and charitable endowments.

 

·It gives government officials the power to determine the ownership of Waqf properties, replacing the current system where Waqf tribunals make such decisions.

 

·The amendments propose that any government property identified as Waqf will cease to be Waqf, further threatening community rights.

 

Opposition criticises Bill

 

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have also criticised the bill, arguing that the Joint Parliamentary Committee ignored their suggestions and that the government is rushing the legislation through Parliament.

 

In a statement, the AIMPLB called on secular and non-communal parties, as well as “conscientious” MPs, to reject the “divisive” bill and uphold constitutional principles of equality, justice, and religious freedom.

 

The board also urged MPs not to stage a walkout but to engage in debates and push for a vote in both houses of Parliament, compelling NDA allies and undecided members to take a stand.

 

[With inputs from PTI]